BETSY ISBISTER

My community lost a wonderful person the other day with the death of Betsy Isbister, a true advocate for families and children. I met Betsy several times through my friend Helen, another social worker who considered Betsy to be her mentor during and after grad school and "the closest thing I've known to a saint."
In my own brief encounters, Betsy was exceedingly gracious, making note of having read my book about foster kids. I definitely felt a special light in her. It takes an amazing person to work with troubled families year after year, decade after decade without becoming pessimistic about clients and the bureaucracy that surrounds them. I feel a personal loss in not having the opportunity of getting to know Betsy better.

In 2004, Betsy received a First Five Children and Families Heroes Award which honors "the generous, selfless efforts of those who work tirelessly to improve the lives of Santa Cruz County children ages 0 to 5 and their families."

Here's what First 5 says about Betsy on their Web site.
When Betsy was 11 years old and living in Europe, she and her family were traveling down a deserted highway in Spain. Through the window, Betsy noticed a number of families who had taken shelter and were actually living in a cave. She decided then that she wanted to dedicate her life to improving the lives of children and families. She asked her mother what type of work helped families and her mother answered, “social work.” That was 52 years ago and to this day Betsy has followed-through with her dedication to families.
In 1966 Betsy received her Masters in Social Work on the east coast. She took this training and her passion to Santa Cruz where she has worked with families for the past 26 years at the Parents Center. Betsy provides counseling to families and children individually as well as leads 2 parent support education groups. Her own three children have been her greatest teachers, and she strives to pass this enthusiasm to the parents she works with and encourages them to take the opportunity to learn from their children. She attributes her compassionate and tireless support for parents to the belief that many parents with courage and determination have the ability to make impressive changes in their lives.