Everyone loves our AEP facilitators! This crackerjack team has an unbeatable combination of personal and professional experience with adoption and permanency. Your facilitator will be with you for every step of the AEP to encourage you, provide feedback and support, answer your questions, and more.
I absolutely loved the AEP facilitator! She was kind and knowledgeable and most importantly, relatable.” -AEP Participant
Ashleigh Martinflatt, MSW, RSW
Lead facilitator
Ashleigh has been working in the social work field since 2001. She has worked with at-risk youth in a community setting as well as internationally in Guyana, working with children and families impacted by HIV/AIDS. Ashleigh’s career then took her to beautiful Campbell River where she was employed by MCFD in the child protection field. The next 9 years of her life were in child protection in Campbell River and Toronto. While in Toronto Ashleigh obtained her Masters in Social Work from the University of Toronto with a focus on permanency planning for children and youth in care. She is now back on the island and loving being back in BC. Ashleigh is a full-time instructor, in social work and child and youth care at Vancouver Island University. She still practices in the field teaching the face-to-face Adoption Education Program, completing home studies and private consultation with families. Most importantly though, Ashleigh is the proud mother of two children who joined her family through adoption from MCFD. She and her family enjoy the outdoor lifestyle on the island and are a pretty busy family!
Tammy Kosolofski, MSW, RSW
Tammy is a social worker, foster parent, and adoptive parent. She has a diverse professional background working in the areas of Indigenous child welfare, the non-profit social services sector, and as a coroner. She currently resides in Kamloops BC with her partner, five busy girls and their dog, Harley. She enjoys running, hockey, and coaching various sports. Tammy is passionate about all children having the opportunity to reach their full life potential, which for some, requires permanency planning and adoption. She is honored to go through this journey with prospective adoptive parents, as she is able to share her own profound and personal experience with adoption.
Leslie Louie, BSW, RSW
Leslie is an adoption social worker who has been involved with adoption for over 10 years. Her experience is both professional and personal. Leslie supports prospective adoptive parents, adoptive parents and birth parents through licensed agencies through information sessions and education specific to adoption as well as prepares home studies. Leslie and her husband are the parents of two children. Their oldest joined them through an international adoption from China and their youngest is “homegrown.” Butterscotch, their golden retriever cross, rounds out their family.
Loreen Keefe, MSW, RSW
Loreen is a former facilitator for the Grandparents Raising their Grandchildren Group with Parent Support Services in Victoria, BC. In addition to her work as an AEP facilitator she contracts to private adoption agencies to conduct home studies, provide post-placement supervision, and facilitate adoption information sessions. She has worked with children and their families for over 15 years and her areas of expertise are child development, trauma ,and special needs. Loreen is passionate about providing children and their families with the preparation and support needed to build strong, loving, permanent homes. She is also an adoptive parent of two children.
Robyn Lalani, RSW, MSW
Robyn has been working as an adoption social worker for over 10 years. As a registered social worker, she contracts to private adoption agencies where she supports birth families, prospective adoptive parents, and adoptive parents, completes home studies, and facilitates adoption education programs. She is also a medical social worker at BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital and a certified coach with her own private coaching practice. Robyn and her husband have three young children. The majority of her free time is spent with her kids, her husband, and her friends. She loves to travel, play tennis, and ski.
Dawn Watters, MSW, RSW
Dawn is a social worker and a single adoptive parent. She obtained her Masters in Social Work at San Diego State University and her Bachelors in Child Development at California State University Northridge. Dawn has worked with children and youth as a sexual abuse therapist with SAIP (Sexual Abuse Intervention Program). She has also worked with MCFD as a team leader and mental health clinician specializing in high-risk youth as well as a team leader and resource social worker with foster families. She is most passionate about seeing children and youth find permanency through adoption. Dawn lives in Kelowna and is the proud mother of two daughters (one young adult and one teen) who joined her family through adoption from MCFD. She and her family have two dogs and love the outdoors, road trips, movies, crafting, game nights, and spending time together as a family.
