Lori Ross

Lori is the founder, CEO, and President of FosterAdopt Connect. She and her husband Randy have been foster/adoptive parents since 1985. Together, they have cared for more than 400 children in foster care and adopted 23, in addition to their five biological children. Lori and Randy are also the proud grandparents of 17 children so far.

Lori holds a degree in psychology, which she completed Summa Cum Laude as an adult learner and has completed thousands of hours of additional training in issues related to the specific needs of children who have experienced abuse or neglect.

Lori began her professional child welfare career working with the Missouri Children’s Division and the Kansas Department for Children and Families as a teaching foster parent more than 30 years ago. She worked with other families to help found FosterAdopt Connect in 1998, initially as a support group and in 2000 as a nonprofit agency. She has served as the organization’s President and CEO since that time.

Lori also worked with the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) as a consultant in their Community Champions Network, providing child welfare services in the states of Texas, Colorado, and Ohio. Her reputation within the child welfare community is an invaluable asset to the organization and has contributed to FosterAdopt Connect’s effective advocacy work on behalf of kids and families in Missouri, Kansas, and nationally.

Throughout her career, Lori has served on a variety of boards and task forces related to foster care and adoption, including serving as the chair of the Missouri Task Force on Children’s Justice for several years. She is currently the board chair for Voice for Adoption, a DC-based national child welfare advocacy organization.