National Council For Adoption Announces Adoption Hall of Fame 2024 Honorees
National Council For Adoption Announces 2024 Adoption Hall of Fame Honorees
Alexandria, VA — The staff and board at National Council For Adoption (NCFA) are pleased to announce that adoption advocates Aleda Madison; Lily Nie and Joshua Zhong; and Debbie Riley are our 2024 inductees into the NCFA Adoption Hall of Fame. This award recognizes those who exhibit outstanding service to the cause of adoption.
Lily Nie and Joshua Zhong, co-founders of Cherish Children Adoption International, since 1992 have placed more than 13,300 children from across the globe—including China, Ukraine, Belize, Dominican Republic, Bulgaria, Taiwan, Colombia, Haiti and Latvia—with forever families in all 50 states.
“This year’s honorees have shown a lifetime of service to the cause of adoption,” says Ryan Hanlon, president and CEO of National Council For Adoption. “They have faithfully served tens of thousands of children and families and they are looked to by their colleagues as leaders in our field.”
Aleda Madison, founder of Madison Adoption Associates, likewise works to place needy children in permanent homes, working relentlessly to unite children from all over the world with supportive families ready to welcome their loved one with open arms.
The team at Madison Adoption Associates since 1981 has placed more than 1,000 children from numerous countries—including China, Russia, Ukraine, Guatemala, Peru, and Japan—and specializes in the adoption of older children and those with special medical needs.
Debbie Riley, co-founder and CEO of the Center for Adoption Support and Education. She and her team have trained more than 30,000 mental-health and child-welfare professionals in 43 states and territories and provided clinical services to more than 9,000 clients and their families.
Moreover, during National Adoption Month in November, those of us at National Council For Adoption will also recognize our Friend of Adoption awardees. These award recipients include lawmakers Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO).
This award recognizes those who have positively impacted the practice of adoption and goes to Sen. Casey and Rep. Lamborn for their legislative efforts in support of adoption and adoption advocates over their many years in Congress.
The senator for years has been championing the Adoption Tax Credit Refundability Act, which would empower low- and middle-income families to pursue adoption and enable them to seek out the post-adoption support so desperately needed during our mental-health crisis.
Rep. Lamborn likewise champions adoption through his legislative efforts. Most notably, he is lead sponsor of the In Good Standing Act, which would require the Department of Health and Human Services to annually publish a list of licensed, compliant adoption agencies.
He is also lead sponsor on Adoption Counts, a bill that would require states to report data to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and provide essential statistics on the number of adoptions by state. This will help lawmakers better understand the adoption landscape.
The pro-family legislator is also an original cosponsor of the ADOPT Act, which would provide prohibit unlicensed adoption intermediaries from advertising or operating and ensuring that only licensed professionals are operating in states where they’re licensed to provide adoption services.
Honorees will be recognized and celebrated at a ceremony and reception on Tuesday, November 19th in Washington, D.C. Every year since 1982, NCFA recognizes those who have made significant contributions to building a culture that supports all members of the adoption community.
The roll of past honorees includes presidents, members of Congress, business and philanthropic leaders, child-welfare professionals, and others who have made significant contributions to strengthening adoption and providing children in need with a loving, permanent family. Register for the event at adoptioncouncil.org/ahof/.
Partnering with NCFA to make this evening possible is gold sponsor Jockey Being Family; silver sponsors Gladney Center for Adoption, Show Hope and The Russell Group; and bronze sponsors The Dezzi Group, Joseph and Rachel Firschein, Robert and Rose Kwiatkowski, and Thorn Run Partners.
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ABOUT NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR ADOPTION
Founded in 1980, NCFA is a leading voice for adoption and committed to the belief that every child deserves to thrive in a nurturing, permanent family. NCFA’s nonprofit work promotes a culture of adoption through education, research, advocacy and collaboration that aims to serve children, expectant parents, birth parents, adopted individuals, adoptive families, and adoption professionals. Visit our website at www.adoptioncouncil.org.
MEDIA CONTACT
Carolyn Bolton
(703) 299-6633
cbolton@adoptioncouncil.org
EVENT CONTACT
Megan Judt
(703) 299-6633 mjudt@adoptioncouncil.org
