OUR TEAM

Executive Director:  Sabrina has spent the last twenty years working in the corporate training and education field as both a consultant and a leader in developing corporate partnerships and growing large strategic clients. She has an extensive business background along with a Master’s Degree in Instructional Technology. Sabrina was also the Executive Director of Orphans at Play, which she founded over nine years ago and created developmental programs for young children through school age in Eastern Europe.  Sabrina leads our strategic vision and our Search programs.  Sabrina spends much of her spare time visiting with children in institutions in Eastern Europe and looking for ways to improve their lives.  Sabrina was domestically adopted in the USA and has two adopted children from Russia and Ukraine.

Coaching and Education Director:  Shari has extensive work in child development and education, teaching and public speaking about the needs, development and life of a child in an orphanage. Shari provides specialized coaching to host families and research based input into developmental plans.  She has worked for host programs in Ukraine and has hosted children. Shari worked with Orphans at Play for the as a Resource Specialist and created partnerships with orphanages and the medical board with members from the University of Minnesota.  Prior to Orphans at Play she was a teacher educating young children. She has extensive education with special needs, specializing in Attachment Disorder, PTSD, Down Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.  Shari is a license Medicaid provider and has extensive developmental and coaching credentials.  Shari has adopted five children from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.

Development Planning Specialist: Ashley has multiple degrees specializing in counseling, trauma and crisis therapy, and marriage and family therapy.  Ashley conducts home safety visits and creates each development plan.  Ashley provides her wealth of experience to families to help prepare them for hosting and supporting a child living in an institution.  Ashley currently works in the foster care system and has adopted internationally from Ukraine and through foster care.  

Matching Coordinator, Hosting and Mentoring Programs:  Kelly is a stay at home mom who has many years of experience parenting children from hard places. She and her husband were foster parents for over 9 years and had the privilege of caring for more then 50 children. They have 5 children, 4 of whom are adopted. She has adopted via foster care, international ( China) and relative adoption. Kelly and her family started hosting 4 years ago and have mentored and re hosted the same young lady many times over the years. Kelly helps families decide if hosting would be a good option for them and helps match families and children. Kelly wants her host daughter to have a future beyond hosting and believes that the commitment of mentoring these young people is so much more than one hosting seaso

Family Support Coordinator:   Melissa a stay at home mom who has dedicated her life to parenting. She and her husband have adopted 18 children from Latvia and Ukraine. She has hosted and mentored and rehosted over 50 children over the last 10 years.  Melissa has the special gift of understanding how to parent young children, teens, and large siblings groups from hard places.   They all fall in love with her and her family.    Melissa mentors many children still residing in Eastern Europe and helps guide them into adulthood.  Melissa helps mentor host families during hosting and provides valuable support and advice to them during their journey and beyond.  

Grant and Fundraising Coordinator:   Laura is a Florida-based collection management and museum registration consultant providing collections care services including grant writing and policy-making to museums, historical societies, archives, libraries, historic homes, private collectors, galleries, businesses, and non-profits in the U.S. and internationally.  She has a Master’s in Museum Studies from the University of Florida, a BA in Art History from Florida State University and an AS in Graphic Design from Santa Fe College. Laura uses her experiences in the museum and design world to assist World Children Resources with guidance in regards to creative design, fundraising and development. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her family. Laura is an active host parent and has mentored her host daughter for many years.  Laura is also a mom to a daughter from Russia.