Part 2 of Nancy's story

As Valley Residential Services continued to grow through the 1980s and 1990s, Nancy began to see new needs emerging in the community.

“We were always watching for gaps,” she explains. “If there was a need and we had the skill set, we tried to step into it.”

During those early decades, VRS secured a behavior management contract with what was then the state’s Developmental Disabilities Division (DDD). The focus was in-home support for children with developmental disabilities who were experiencing significant behavioral challenges. That contract marked the beginning of what would become Valley Residential’s Family Support Program.

Around the same time, the local school district approached VRS for help. They knew Nancy and her team had deep experience working with individuals with challenging behaviors. When children struggled at school, families were often overwhelmed at home. Tensions could rise between parents and educators, particularly around strategies and philosophies.

“The school district really wanted us to help support the parents,” Nancy says. “A lot of times families just needed someone in their corner — someone who could translate, coach, and help everyone work together.”

Staff entered homes and worked directly with children and their families. The approach was practical, hands-on, and rooted in relationship. It wasn’t theory. It was real-life problem solving.

The work evolved again when Washington State’s Division of Children, Youth, and Families approached VRS to provide what was known as “Professional Services.” Nancy recalls that period as another turning point. “We were asked to bring our behavioral expertise into family homes in a structured way. It made sense for us.”

Today, that partnership continues to grow. VRS provides Supervised Visitation and Transportation for children in out-of-home placements so they can maintain connections with their parents. The organization also delivers Comprehensive In-Home Services, including evidence-based practices and Family Reconciliation Services. In addition, VRS offers supervised visitation to community members on a sliding-fee scale, recognizing how difficult — and expensive — those services can be to access.

Like many of the programs Nancy helped build, the Children’s Program has evolved alongside changing funding structures and state systems. But the philosophy has never changed.

“Meet people where they are,” she says. “Support the whole family. Focus on dignity and practical solutions.”

As Nancy prepares to retire next year, the challenges facing Valley Residential Services look different than they did when she started.

Supported Living — serving adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in their own homes — has always operated within tight funding margins. In the early years, the challenge was scarcity: fewer staff, fewer resources, and leaders doing whatever needed to be done.

But today’s pressures feel heavier.

“Residential work has always been underfunded,” Nancy explains. “That hasn’t changed. What’s changed is the level of regulation, the documentation, the oversight — and the cost of everything.”

Reimbursement rates have not kept pace with inflation, workforce demands, or the true cost of providing skilled support. Yet expectations for safety, accountability, and professional standards have only increased.

And still, Nancy remains clear about what the work requires.

“Residential is its own calling,” she says. “You’re in people’s homes. You’re responsible for real lives every single day. It’s not something you do halfway.”

Through group homes, tenant support, veterans housing, and children’s services, Nancy has led Valley Residential Services through decades of change.

But at its core, she says, the mission has never shifted.

“People deserve to live in community,” she says simply. “That’s it. That’s the heart of it.”

That belief built Valley Residential Services.

And it continues to guide it forward.