Susan Worsley, Executive Director & CEO of The North Georgia Angel House, had a life of service. She served in the military for seven years and began working in a children’s residential psychiatric facility in 1990. She worked overnight through college and attended school during the day. After completing her undergraduate degree in sociology/criminal justice, Susan went to work for the Department of Children and Family Services. “As the years passed, I had less and less time working with children and more time working as an Administrator. I returned to college to earn my M.S. in Public Administration/Criminal Justice. My internship led me to a few semesters of working in a classification prison,” she says. “Through that experience, I learned that many of the incarcerated inmates had left the foster care system. The lack of advocacy, limited family resources, and few people to encourage them had led them to serve time for offenses that in all probability could have been negotiated.

Susan applied that logic to children she met along the way and continued to help young people find a positive path out of the foster care system. She helped transition a state from the Department of Children and Family Services to a private system. “Once privatized I returned to school to earn a Ph.D. in Human Services with seven years of research to understand how to build resiliency and longevity in those who remained in the field with high job satisfaction,” explains Susan. “I found my way back to working alongside children in Georgia and joined the North Georgia Angel House as the Executive Director and CEO in 2007. The experience I gained from living abroad from service and serving the public in Miami helped create a diverse workforce and culture of what was once a tiny group home serving eight children.”

Over the years, the North Georgia Angel House has grown into a campus providing shelter, education, life skills, tutoring, vocational training, legal advocacy, and countless other resources to over 1500 females.

Inspiring Others with Experience

Human Services is a challenging field to serve. Children are angry that they are in care. Parents are angry that their children are living outside the home. The court is angry that the children get into trouble, and the adults caring for them have few tools to change bad behavior. It takes time, patience, love, commitment, and passion to see another thrive on showing up day after day. With so much negativity in the children and the community, Susan’s message to everyone is to give more than they take each day but always take care of themselves, “we are in charge of our own happiness!”. She adds, “Learn to laugh often. See the good before the bad. And when you feel like you need a day to recharge, take it. Remind yourself each day that life on this earth is only a success if we have a purpose. Never carry your burdens home, and never forget to thank God every day for your blessings.” 

Susan's actual measurement of success is in how many lives she has touched with a positive impact. In her 32 years of Human Services, the list is long, and she remains in contact with children she removed from their homes 30 years ago. “The North Georgia Angel House opens our home for the holidays every year during the first week of December. I am fortunate to see hundreds of our children each year that are homeowners, veterans, mothers, business owners, and so many other professions that have been able to help them maintain self-sufficiency,” she says proudly. “The advice that I would share with others is that planting a seed is free. Harvesting takes time. Many dark days will be found in caring for those who have suffered at the hands of others. Make peace with yourself and give 100% of what you can do each day. If you do that, whatever the outcome may be, you will be at peace.” 

The mission of the North Georgia Angel House is “Giving Girls Roots. Giving Girls Wings.” Their mission is to provide children with the stability and consistency to allow them to put down roots. The house offers life skills to give them wings. As the girls leave care, they continue to build upon both by providing a lifelong support system to any of their former youth. The home continues to open its doors every year for one week to reconnect with any former girls. This allows the home to meet their children and provide any needed services to help them thrive. North Georgia Angel House’s goal is to not just be a stop along the way in foster care but to be a landing pad to return to as often as needed throughout life. “We believe that those who return each year find the Angel House to be their permanent home. Our network is not biological, but it serves the same purpose: ensuring youth never go through any dark day alone,” Susan adds. 

Towards the Future

One of the North Georgia Angel House's most significant achievements due to its revolutionary approach is opening a private school. Over the years, Susan has seen the path of educational destruction that results in such a low graduation rate for foster youth. The constant changing of addresses, losing credits with each move, and constantly being the “new kid” is devastating to foster youth. To address this need, North Georgia Angel House offers a private school to any youth in the foster or delinquency system. Regardless of how many physical moves a child may have, their commitment is to anchor their education to give them the very best chance for graduation. “Secondly, we are huge animal lovers. We are the only group home that allows children who are entering foster care to bring a pet from home. We see the value in the bond that children share with animals and the need to prevent separation,” elucidates Susan. “The future for me always includes working with foster youth. I see no path in life that does not include the service of others. The North Georgia Angel House has served children in Georgia for over three decades. I see us continuing to assess the needs of those in care and to adjust our sails accordingly.”