SCC Luncheon: Child Welfare: Global to Local

Oregon’s Child Welfare system is continually in the news, including stories about the need for foster parents and improved safety for children. What is Oregon doing to improve outcomes for our most vulnerable children? How does that compare to what other states and countries are doing? Meet Lena Alhusseini, Oregon’s new Child Welfare Director. She will address these questions on May 5, 2017.

Alhusseini brings a global view of child safety services to Salem City Club. Born in Jerusalem and raised in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom, Alhusseini established the Jordan River Foundation’s child protection unit which was the first Middle East organization to address the issue of child abuse. She also served with global organizations such as USAID, UNICEF and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. 


She comes to Oregon from New York, where she served as the Executive Director of the Arab-American Family Support Center. As Oregon’s Child Welfare Director her vision is to help build a family support center model that connects vulnerable families with their community and the local services they need to keep their children safe and at home.