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Date: Tuesday,  Nov. 24, 1998
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE		
Contact:  Michael Kharfen  (202) 401-9215

HHS AWARDS EXCELLENCE IN PROMOTING ADOPTION Secretary Shalala, President and Mrs. Clinton recognize individuals and organizations for contributions to helping children find permanent homes

Secretary Shalala also called for increased efforts to recruit and strengthen adoptive families and to shorten the time that children spend in foster care. She reported that the President's message to promote adoption is showing some results. From 1996 to 1997, adoptions increased by more than 10 percent -- from 28,000 to 31,000 -- the first significant increase since the federal program was established. However, HHS estimates that there are still more than 100,000 children who cannot return to their birth families and need families to adopt them. Typically, children awaiting adoption spend more than three years in foster care.

To help states and communities meet the goal of doubling the number of adoptions by 2002, HHS intends to develop a plan for expanding the use of the Internet. By putting the photos of children who are legally available for adoption on a national Internet service, the time that a child waits to find an adoptive family could be shortened. The plan also will identify important issues and strategies for addressing them, and examine ways to build on existing efforts that are underway in some states.

"One year ago President Clinton made history by signing the Adoption and Safe Families Act. That new law built on the administration's track record of breaking down barriers to adoption and established new tools to attain his goal of doubling the number of children adopted from foster care," said Secretary Shalala. "Today we honor the individuals and organizations who have demonstrated commitment and leadership in helping to find permanent and safe homes for children in foster care."

"Adoption 2002" is the HHS response to President Clinton's initiative to double by that year the number of children in foster care who are adopted or otherwise permanently placed. Many of the recommendations of the "Adoption 2002" report were included in the Adoption and Safe Families Act. The recommendations included unprecedented financial incentives to states to increase adoptions, put the safety of children first in placement decisions, and set swifter time frames for permanent placement decisions. It also recommended annual honors to those who make exemplary contributions toward meeting the President's goal.

"President Clinton has set an ambitious and critical challenge to the country to provide all children in foster care with permanent homes," said Olivia A. Golden, HHS assistant secretary for children and families. "In the past year we have witnessed an unprecedented collaboration between the federal, state and local governments with foundations, businesses and citizens to work together for adoption. Today's remarkable honorees have earned our most heartfelt appreciation."

The 1998 awards recognized contributions by adoptive families and leadership by individuals as well as outstanding performance by organizations. A committee representing non- profit adoption agencies, child welfare and adoption advocates, adoptive parents, foundations, the business community, and state and federal offices reviewed and evaluated more than 65 nominations and selected eight winners in five categories.

The winners by category are:

Individual or Family Contributions
• Tim O'Hanlon, Ph.D., Ohio North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC), Columbus, Ohio. Dr. O'Hanlon volunteers his time as the state representative for Ohio with NACAC. He created and maintains the Adoption Policy Resource Center Web site, and he has authored several books and articles on Adoption Advocacy.
  
• Governor and Mrs. Jim Edgar, State of Illinois, Springfield, Ill. Governor James and Mrs. Brenda Edgar are long-time champions of children's initiatives. They convened Project HEART to advise the state of Illinois in streamlining its adoption system and launched the Corporate Recruitment Initiative with the Illinois Hospital and Health Systems Association. Illinois adoptions have increased from 708 in 1991 to 4,239 in FY98.

  Increased Adoptions

• Georgia Department of Human Resources, Office of Adoptions, Atlanta, Ga. Adoptions have increased 66 percent since FY95. Regional Adoption Coordinators were placed in state service areas to advocate adoption and track the progress of adoptive children; privatization of services and placement was emphasized.
  
• Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, Springfield, Ill. Finalized adoptions were increased from 2,229 in FY97 to 4,293 in FY98. The "Illinois Permanency Initiative," to enable the department and juvenile courts to act more quickly in moving children to permanency, was enacted.

  Support for Adoptive Families

• Hope for the Children, Inc., Rantoul, Ill. In FY98, 13 families were supported in adopting 14 children, 13 children are in the process of adoption, and three await court determinations; 53 volunteers provided 17,620 volunteer hours to the families. The agency also partnered with Ronald McDonald House Charities to bring nearly $8 million to communities for an intergenerational neighborhood care and support model.
  
• Three Rivers Adoption Council, Pittsburgh, Pa. The agency partnered with Black Adoption Services to complete family and child profiles and host a Celebration of Families for 600 people. It also joined the Exchange to serve 539 families and 869 children, leading to the placement of over 300 children. Post-placement services were provided to over 70 adoptive and foster families.

  Philanthropy

• Kansas Association of Broadcasters, Topeka, Kan. KAB partnered with Kansas Families for Kids to produce radio and television spots valued at $314,786, which resulted in an average of 200 calls per month. As a result, the number of children adopted in Kansas increased by 50 percent in just one year. KAB also began the "Kid of the Month," which features increased air time for hard-to-place children, developed an extensive Web site, and financed the first sibling reunion camp for 90 children separated in the Kansas foster care and adoption systems.

  Judicial Improvement

• Judge Max Baer, Allegheny Juvenile Court, Family Division, Pittsburgh, Pa. As a result of Judge Baer's activities, Allegheny County doubled the number of adoptions to 457 in FY97-98. He initiated the Statewide Adoption Network Legal Project to eliminate barriers to adoption and expedite adoptions through private and public partnership. He established the One Judge/One Family policy to ensure consistency in judicial oversight and strengthened it with The Masters Project to alleviate overcrowding at the Juvenile Court. He also supported the Family Mediation Adoption Project which involved birth parents to identify solutions that may have delayed adoption.