Community Advocates is proud to announce that Jan Buchler was awarded the Association of Child and Youth Care Practitioners (ACYCP) Lifetime Achievement Award to celebrate Jan's extraordinary commitment over decades to support children and families while leading countless organizations including The Parenting Network, Community Advocates, and the Nonprofit Center in Milwaukee.
Jody Rhodes, Executive Director of Neu-Life Community Development and Board President of ACYCP, presented Jan with her award at a reception in November. Kari Southern, Deputy Director of Community Advocates Public Policy Institute, was on hand to celebrate Jan and offer her gratitude for Jan’s care and compassion for our community’s youth, parents, and caregivers.
The ACYCP Lifetime Achievement Award was designed to call special attention to Child and Youth Care leaders who have been exceptional among their peers and have demonstrated a lifelong commitment to the field of Child and Youth Care. It’s described as “a salute and standing ovation for individuals who have always been there for the Child and Youth Care profession.”
That description describes Jan perfectly. Earlier this year, Jan stepped down from her position as Contract Monitor at Community Advocates Public Policy Institute, where she mentored youth- and family-focused organizations and staff who participate in the Milwaukee Brighter Futures and Stay Strong Milwaukee initiatives.
Prior to joining the PPI team at Community Advocates, Jan served for 15 years as the Executive Director of The Parenting Network, whose mission is to strengthen parenting and to prevent child abuse, and as Director of Family Services at Meta House, an outpatient and residential facility serving women in recovery from substance abuse. Jan also served as Director of Early Childhood and Family Services at the Jewish Community Center in Milwaukee and the Leo Yassenhoff JCC in Columbus, Ohio, for over 20 years.
