Finding the Perfect Fit

Jenny Bolen had only worked at Walden Family Services Riverside office a few days when she recognized that her job as a temporary reception was more than a lucky accident.

“I was just coming out of a divorce after being a stay at home Mom, and I quickly felt like I’d been sent to Walden for a reason,” she says. “I realized that working with a foster care and adoption agency was the perfect fit for me.”

After nine months, Jenny was promoted to office manager, a role she’s held for nearly 15 years.

“I don’t work directly with the kids, but I’m part of a team who advocates for the families and children in our care,” she added. “We help ensure children’s safety and well-being, whether they stay in foster care temporarily or need our help finding a forever family.”

While no one single experience sticks with Jenny—there are just too many—she loves it when children and youth who have returned home to family or been adopted reach out to let us know how they are doing and the impact their social workers had on their lives.

“I work with amazing people, but Walden isn’t just the place I work. In many ways, we are all a huge family.”