If one word could accurately describe a caring, nurturing woman who has dedicated much of her life to the welfare of children, that word might be “Mom.” Although she really is a dedicated mother, Amy Anderson is also the chief operating officer (COO) at Whaley Children’s Center in Flint.
In March, Anderson was honored with the Voices for Children Caring Adult Award. She was nominated for the award by Whaley’s President and CEO, Mindy Williams, who provided a detailed description of Anderson’s accomplishments in her submission, which she summed up by stating, “Amy has dedicated her life to transforming the lives of children and families in Genesee County through her unwavering compassion, selflessness, and commitment to child welfare for over 25 years.”
In her nomination of Anderson, Williams also said, in part, “Child welfare is an immensely challenging field, but Amy has navigated it with grace, strength and tireless resolve. Her work is not just a profession, it’s who she is. Through her actions, Amy teaches everyone she encounters that their circumstances do not define their potential and that they can achieve anything they set their minds to.
“For a quarter of a century, Amy has been a beacon of hope and stability for the most vulnerable in our community. She embodies the spirit of a Caring Adult, and her legacy of love and dedication will ripple through generations to come. Amy is more than deserving of this recognition, as she continues to transform lives with every step of her remarkable journey.”
Anderson began her career in child welfare right out of college in 1999 at a former Flint nonprofit foster care and adoption agency, working as a case manager.
“While at that agency, I worked with children and families in the foster care system and then became a foster home licensing worker and ultimately, a licensing supervisor,” Anderson recalled. “In 2009, I went to work for the State of Michigan at Genesee County MDHHS as a Children’s Protective Services investigator and was ultimately selected as one of the first 20 investigators in the state to work as a maltreatment in care – CPS investigator to look into allegations of abuse and neglect in foster homes, day care centers and residential facilities.” In that role at MDHHS, Anderson was tasked with investigating allegations that might arise at Whaley. Her supervisor was Whaley’s current CEO and President, Mindy Williams. “Several months after Mindy was selected to serve in her role at Whaley, she asked me to join the Whaley family, and I became director of HR in 2016,” she explained. “I was promoted to the position of chief operating officer in August of 2024. My role at Whaley is a culmination of years of working with youth and families within the child welfare system, and has been a truly amazing experience.”
As the Whaley COO, Anderson oversees all human resource functions, licensing, accreditation and compliance departments, as well as the Center’s operations departments. “We have an amazing staff of over 150 truly committed individuals who pour their hearts into the lives of the young people placed in our facility by the state through our residential treatment and independent diving programs.”
When asked to share some notable success stories, Anderson replied, “As someone who has lived and worked in Flint my whole life and now worked in the child welfare field for over 25 years, it is hard to narrow down. For me, success is each time I am out in the community and get approached with ‘Do you remember me?’ followed by the privilege of getting to hear a parent or former youth I worked with tell me all of the successes and progress they have been able to make over the years. “I recently went to a local diner and was greeted by a cook coming out of the kitchen to beam about his three now-adult children, one serving in the military and two who are college graduates. The significance of this is that over 15 years ago, I worked closely with this parent who was struggling with severe drug addiction to the point of requiring intensive, ongoing protective services for nearly a year. The addiction had reached the point where the parents were required to enter inpatient substance abuse treatment, or I would have been petitioning the court to have their children removed from their care. Fortunately, they were successful in doing the hard work to get healthy and maintain their family. Hearing pride in this father’s voice as he described his adult children’s successes is the reason I do this work.”
(L-R) Team Whaley includes: Olivia Nagel, Director of Development; Jen McKay, Chief Advancement Officer; Shakila Shamsid-Deen, Compliance Supervisor; Amy; Mindy Williams, President & CEO; Danelle Freeman, Director of Program Development and Adrian Davis, HR/DEI Supervisor.
Anderson said she feels blessed to maintain hundreds of connections with former families, foster and adoptive parents, and kids she has worked with over the years. “It is a true joy to see the youth I worked with over the years, now as parents themselves, introducing me to their children,” she added. “I have had the privilege of hiring as a staff member someone who was a foster child whose case I managed over 20 years ago. He is now a married adult with his own child and has grown to be someone making a difference in the lives of foster youth placed at Whaley.”
Anderson says her motivation to do this work originally stemmed from being a teen mom who, by virtue of her young age and poverty, as well as some unfortunate things she experienced within the very systems that are labeled as “support” systems, was labeled an “at-risk mother.”
It was through some of these early life experiences that Anderson vowed to somehow make a difference. “I knew that I wanted to work with young people and/or parents to truly offer the support that would encourage and motivate them to grow, become successful adults and live up to their potential,” she stated. “Having now worked for many years with families struggling with issues of generational poverty, substance abuse, homelessness, domestic violence and other challenges and watching them navigate to the other side has kept me motivated to continue working in this incredibly challenging field. It also motivated me to teach my son that the most important thing he can do in life is to make a positive difference in this world on whatever career path he chooses.”
“I have always been passionate about issues of justice, equity and basic human rights.”
Anderson finds daily motivation in watching the dedicated staff at Whaley impacting the lives of the children in their care. “Seeing a child who arrived at our Center so traumatized and angry from enduring multiple home placements and broken attachments become a child beaming from ear to ear as they hug staff member after staff member during our agency-wide ‘clap-outs’ as they successfully leave our program to return to family or their next step toward independence is truly an overwhelming motivation.”
The lifelong Flint resident graduated from Carman-Ainsworth High School and continued her education at the University of Michigan-Flint where she earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology, and later returned to receive a master of public administration (MPA) with a concentration in nonprofit and government administration.
“I have always been passionate about issues of justice, equity and basic human rights,” Anderson said. “Although I was not sure where my career would ultimately land me, I always knew that I wanted to work in a capacity to help ensure that people, especially young people, received access to the support and services to help them grow and thrive regardless of their circumstances or backgrounds. At Whaley, we often use the saying, ‘Your past does not define your future’ and in teaching our young people this, we get the amazing honor of watching them realize, define and reach their full potential.” Anderson grew up an only child with her mom and stepfather, Debbie and Mike, who she says still give her love and support every day.
Award Ceremony Surprise: The Children’s Champion Breakfast was held on March 19, and Anderson said she had no idea she had been selected from all the incredible nominees to be honored. “They managed to get Domonique to come up on stage and present it without me knowing anything. He convinced me that he had been asked last-minute to stand in for someone and speak. I was so overwhelmed and in tears – quite a special moment.”
“I became a mom at the young age of 17 to my son, Domonique Clemons. In many ways, we grew up together which gives us a very unique and treasured relationship,” Anderson shared. “He is truly my pride and joy, and I learn from him each and every day. As with many high school romances, his father and I went our separate ways. I got married at 23 and was fortunate to spend ten years with my husband before his unexpected death. At the age of 33, I was a widow and once again, a single mom. This tragedy proved very challenging for me and as my son went off to college, I struggled to gain my center again.”
Several years later, Domonique’s biological father faced multiple severe health challenges and did not have a stable living situation. “In 2016, as his health continued to deteriorate, we made the decision that he would move into Domonique’s old bedroom, and I ultimately became his caregiver,” Amy explained.
Over the next eight years, Domonique’s father suffered through many complications as his health continued declining. “But, it was an opportunity for him to again have his son in his life and he truly enjoyed watching Domonique as he began making a difference throughout our community, working in local politics and now serving as our Genesee County Clerk/Register of Deeds.” In August 2024, Domonique’s father passed after his long-fought battle. “Facing another very difficult loss has been challenging; but I am so blessed to have my Whaley family,” Anderson added. “It is working with these amazing difference-makers each day, who have truly become my extended family, as well as getting to watch my son thrive as he impacts our community in more ways than I could have ever anticipated, that fills my cup and makes my heart happy.”
