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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Contact: ACF Press Office
(202) 401-9215
HHS Honors 17 Groups, Individuals for Adoption Excellence
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced 17 Adoption Excellence Award winners that had a role in increasing the number of foster children placed in permanent homes.
"The people and organizations we honor today have shown selfless devotion to children and youth who need a permanent family,” Secretary Thompson said. "They don’t just talk about it; they do it. By taking personal action, they have enriched their own lives as well as the lives of many American children.”
Given annually since 1997, the awards honor states, local agencies, private organizations, courts, businesses, individuals and families for their accomplishments and efforts to increase the adoptions of foster children. The awards grew out of the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997, which provided financial incentives for states to increase adoptions, made safety the paramount consideration for determining placement and mandated swifter time frames for permanent placement decisions.
In fiscal year 2003, some 50,000 children were adopted from public child welfare agencies. Of the 523,000 children in the foster care system in the United States today, more than 118,000 are available for adoption. Of these children, 64 percent are over age five, with the average age being eight years old. 28 percent are black and 16 percent are Hispanic.
The award winners were chosen by a committee representing non-profit adoption agencies, child welfare and adoption advocates, adoptive parents, foundations, businesses and state and federal offices.
"As we commemorate National Adoption Month this November, we show our appreciation for a group of extraordinary Americans who have gone out of their way to make sure kids in foster care have stable, loving homes,” said Wade F. Horn, Ph.D., HHS assistant secretary for children and families. "Their deeds clearly demonstrate compassion in action.”
Following is a complete list of award recipients:
AWARDEES FOR FAITH-BASED ADOPTION INITIATIVES:
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Bethany Christian Services of Michigan, Grand Rapids, Mich.
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Bennett Chapel Adoption Program, Center, Texas
AWARDEES FOR SUPPORT FOR ADOPTION FAMILIES:
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Center for Family Connections, Cambridge, Mass.
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Project STAR/The Children’s Institute, Pittsburgh, Penn.
AWARDEES FOR INDIVIDUAL AND/OR FAMILY CONTRIBUTIONS:
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Yuma County Child Protective Services,Yuma, Ariz.
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Barbara Holtan, Adoption Exchange Association, Baltimore, Md.
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Suzanne Dosh, Aurora, Colo.
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Pat Reynolds-Harris, Oakland, Calif.
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Deborah Sullivan, Massachusetts Department of Social Services, Boston, Mass.
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Ernesto Loperena, New York Council on Adoptable Children, New York, N.Y.
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Janice Scheurer, Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri, Saint Louis, Mo.
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Drenda Lakin, Spaulding for Children, Southfield, Mich.
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The Dominguez Family, Burbank, Ill.
AWARDEES FOR BUSINESS CONTRIBUTIONS/INITIATIVES:
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Cleveland Brothers, Harrisburg, Penn.
AWARDEES FOR JUDICIAL OR CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT:
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The Florida Department of Children and Families, Tallahassee, Fl.
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El Paso County Department of Human Services and the Fourth Judicial District Court, Colo. Springs, Colo.
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Adopt Now Project, Administration for Children’s Services; New York State Office of Children and Families Services; Office of Court Administration, New York, N.Y.
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news