Margie Holbrook is a Foster Care Case Manager in Huntington, WV, and just celebrated her four-year anniversary with Necco.
Margie has been married for 32 years and has three sons and six grandchildren. She attended Morehead State University in 2018 and earned her bachelor’s degree in social work. Before Necco, Margie worked for the Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) in Kentucky.
Margie’s journey into the world of foster care started much earlier in life than most. When she was 16 years old, she babysat a two-month-old baby girl for a summer, watching her for a week at a time.
“When the parents brought her back to me, she was always wearing a soiled diaper and sleeper,” Margie says. “My parents bought clothing, diapers and any other items she needed.”
Margie learned that the bio parents of this baby girl had planned to have her for another couple who couldn’t have children, but were “stuck with her” when the couple was sadly killed in a car accident.
Margie’s sister-in-law knew of the situation and thought maybe her aunt and uncle would want to adopt the baby. They all met, and the bio parents agreed “without hesitation,” says Margie. The baby girl was adopted and given a new name and a new life.
“She had a wonderful childhood, many friends, won beauty contests, excelled in school and is now married with children of her own,” Margie says.
Being a part of this child’s success story led Margie to have a passion for caring for children.
“I always knew I wanted to help children, I just didn’t know in what aspect until I became a case manager at Necco,” says Margie.
Another kiddo that made a significant impact on Margie is a young child that had been placed in at least eight different foster homes before Necco. She says many families had given up on him.
“He had a great deal of trauma that surfaced in the form of physical and verbal aggression to the point of hitting, kicking and screaming,” Margie adds.
After adding the child to her caseload, Margie knew she had to dig deep and use everything she had to provide the love and support he needed. Fortunately, she found him a foster home where she says he is now thriving.
“He loves being a big brother to his younger foster siblings, helps around the home, engages positively along with excelling in school,” says Margie.
Although the job of case management can be stressful at times, Margie says it's stories like these that encourage her to keep being a champion for children.
Margie was recently awarded Necco's “When Opportunities Knock,” award. She says that while it was an honor to be recognized individually, the award belongs to her entire team.
When presenting Margie’s award, Huntington Program Director Gina Brown says “The support she gives is unbelievable. I am so proud of having [her] on my team and the work that [she does] for our children and our families.”
We are so thankful to have Margie as a part of the Necco family!
If you are interested in becoming a Case Manager like Margie, check out the career opportunities on our job board and learn more about our foster care program here.