Every year the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) hosts the Angels in Adoption Gala in Washington, D.C. and this year one of the attendees is very near and dear to the hearts of those at Adoptions From The Heart.
What is the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute?
The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) is a non-profit organization that works to raise awareness about the needs of children without families and to remove policy barriers that hinder children from knowing the love and support a family provides. CCAI is unique in that each of their programs brings together policymakers and individuals with direct foster care or adoption experience. CCAI has found that when policymakers hear direct experiences of those affected by orphan and child welfare policy, they become engaged in this issue and work to bring about legislative improvements in an effort to ensure each child has their right to a family realized.
History
CCAI was founded in 2001 by advocates of the world’s orphaned and foster youth. In founding CCAI, these advocates sought to match the commitment of members of Congress’ Adoption Caucus, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, with the information and resources needed to make the dream of a family a reality for every child.
Vision and Goals
Their vision is a world in which every child knows the love and support of a family. Their goals are to educate policymakers on issues related to adoption and foster care in an effort to remove policy barriers that hinder children from finding families. Realizing that policymakers have the power to overcome such barriers, CCAI aims to coordinate efforts to bring about change to foster care and adoption, while creating opportunities for awareness-building and information-sharing among U.S. and world officials. CCAI educates and raises awareness of the needs of children without families. By convening policymakers, issue experts and individuals with direct foster care or adoption experience, CCAI works to ensure that every child knows the love and support of a family.
Angels in Adoption Gala
The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s (CCAI) Angels in Adoption™ Gala is one of Washington, DC’s most inspiring events that seeks to bring awareness to the millions of children around the globe living without a loving family to call their own.
courtesy of http://angelsinadoption.org/
Angels in Adoption™ honors individuals, couples, and organizations from across the nation that have made an extraordinary contribution on behalf of children in need of families. These heroes hail from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico and represent the wide spectrum of individuals involved in the adoption and foster care process. Since the program’s inception in 1999, almost 2,000 Angels have received this honor. CCAI also honors a select number of National Angels in Adoption™. As the name implies, these are individuals whose contributions in the fields of adoption or foster care have had a national impact.
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Past recipients of this award include Katherine Heigl and Josh Kelley, Ne-Yo, Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy, First Lady Laura Bush, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Kristin Chenoweth, Rhea Perlman, Bruce Willis, Al Roker, Muhammad Ali, Patti LaBelle, Jane Seymour, Henry Winkler, Scott Fujita, Nia Vardalos and CBS Studios.
Adoptions From The Heart’s Nomination
At Adoptions From The Heart, we are advocates for open adoption and we couldn’t think of a better individual who upholds high standards and supports our mission than Deborah Spivack.
photo courtesy of Debbie Spivack
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Deborah Spivack established a law practice devoted to adoption and has excelled in every aspect. Spivack represents adoptive parents, birth parents, agencies and children and she always aims to enable prospective parents to come together with children who need families, and to keep the doors to adoption open and accessible to families.
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Her goal is to provide personalized, practical and informative legal advice that empowers clients to make informed decisions about family planning, always with an eye toward their short and long-term goals. She has handled hundreds of adoptions and is a member of the American Academy of the Adoption Attorneys (AAAA) where she demonstrates experience in diverse adoption cases.
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Debbie is a published author and frequent speaker on adoption topics to audiences such as adoption parents, agency staff, adoption attorneys, and judges. She has also held leadership roles in organizations that promote ethical practice and ensure that adoption policy serves the interests of children worldwide.
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As an adoptive mother herself, Debbie lends a unique perspective to the work that she does and at Adoptions From The Heart we couldn’t be happier to have her on our team. An AFTH Social Worker explained: “Debbie is someone who goes above and beyond in all of her work with this agency. She works all hours and will answer any phone call, text, and email regardless of the time of day, night or weekend. ALWAYS. She takes time to prep us for testifying and will practice until you feel comfortable. She also has a great relationship with adoptive parents and won’t hesitate to take their phone calls and talk them through any legal risk. She understands the needs of everyone in the adoption triad and advocates for everyone. Debbie is a warm and caring person. Her personality makes her an attorney that you feel safe with and she will always do what is best for the client and is well within the law.”
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