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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, November 1, 2005
Contact: Jane Norris
(202) 401-9215
Adoption Excellence Awards Presented
Awards kick off National
Adoption Month in November
WASHINGTON, D.C. --- The Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today presented 21 Adoption Excellence Awards for effort and commitment to increasing the number of children in foster care who have been adopted nationally.
“The winners of this year's Adoption Excellence Awards deserve our praise and gratitude,” said HHS Assistant Secretary for Children and Families Wade F. Horn, Ph.D. “Thanks to them, more children in foster care will grow up in a permanent home with a loving family.”
The awards were presented at a ceremony at Union Station in Washington, D.C. to kick-off National Adoption Month.
The awards are given annually to honor individuals, families, local agencies, private organizations, courts, businesses and states for commitment to increasing the adoptions of children in foster care.
Following is a complete list of this year’s Adoption Excellence Award winners:
Massachusetts Department of Social Services
Holyoke Office Adoption
Unit
In recognition of decreasing the length of time children in foster
care wait for adoption
Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
Statewide Adoption and
Permanency Network Legal Services Initiative in Harrisburg
In
recognition of decreasing the length of time children in foster care wait for
adoption
Adams County Social Services Department
Denver, Colorado
In
recognition of their support for adoptive families
The Kinship Center
Salinas, California
In recognition of
their support for adoptive families
The Center for Adoption Support and Education, Inc.
Silver Spring,
Maryland
In recognition of their support for adoptive families
Denise Hoskins
Indiana Foster Care and Adoption Association
In recognition of individual contributions to adoption services
Fredi Juni
Alameda County Social Services Agency, Oakland,
California
In recognition of individual contributions to adoption
services
M. Jodi Rell
Governor of Connecticut
In recognition of
individual contributions to adoption services
Deborah Goodman
Oklahoma Department of Human Services
In
recognition of individual contributions to adoption services
Diane Granito
Protective Services Division of the New Mexico
Children, Youth and Families Department
In recognition of individual
contributions to adoption services
Judge David Goodling
Duval County, Florida
In recognition of
individual contributions to adoption services
Carla Williams
Catholic Charities, Roman Catholic Diocese of
Joliet, Illinois
In recognition of individual contributions to adoption
services
Deborah Rahmer
Salfordville, Pennsylvania
In recognition of
philanthropy in support of adoption services
kirshenbaum bond + partners
New York City
In recognition of
business contributions and initiatives for adoption services
Cox Communication’s “A Welcome Home Program”
In recognition of business contributions and initiatives for adoption services
Carlisle Corporation
Memphis, Tennessee
In recognition of
business contributions and initiatives for adoption services
Waterworks Photography Association
Tulsa, Oklahoma
In
recognition of business contributions and initiatives for adoption services
Kansas Professional Photographer’s Association
Pittsburg,
Kansas
In recognition of business contributions and initiatives for
adoption services
New York State Office of Children and Family Services
In
recognition of judicial or child welfare system improvements for adoption
services
Permanency Planning Project
American Bar Association
In
recognition of judicial or child welfare system improvements for adoption
services
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news