2017 Award Recipients
Every year, NACAC honors special individuals and groups by publicly recognizing their outstanding service and achievements in the areas of adoption and child welfare.
Child Advocate of the Year
- Terry Cross, National Indian Child Welfare Association, Oregon
- Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, British Columbia Representative for Children and Youth, British Columbia
Friend of Children and Youth
- Pam Hasegawa, New Jersey Coalition for Adoption Reform and Education, New Jersey
- Rhonda Roorda, author and international speaker on transracial adoption, Michigan
Youth Advocate of the Year
- Ashley Ash, Adoption Council of Ontario Youth Network, Ontario
Parent Group of the Year
- Adoptive and Foster Parent Association of Georgia, Georgia
Activists
- Janice Goldwater, Adoptions Together, Maryland
- Florida Youth Shine, Florida
Past Award Recipients
We are grateful for the individuals and organizations that have made tremendous contributions in the areas of adoption and child welfare throughout our history.
Child Advocate of the Year
| Year | Recipient |
| 2016 | Nicole Dobbins, District of Columbia and Pam Wolf, Tennessee |
| 2015 | Denise Goodman, Ohio and Pat O’Brien, New York |
| 2014 | Ruth McRoy, Massachusetts and Ada K. White, Louisiana |
| 2013 | Sandra Scarth, British Columbia |
| 2012 | J. Toni Oliver, Georgia |
| 2011 | Senator Ben Nelson, Nebraska |
| 2010 | Dr. Gerald Mallon, New York |
| 2009 | Senators Max Baucus, Charles Grassley, and John Rockefeller; Representatives Jim McDermott and Jerry Weller |
| 2008 | Phil Fontaine, Ontario |
| 2007 | Dixie van de Flier Davis, Colorado |
| 2006 | Zena Oglesby, California |
| 2005 | Wilbert Talley, Virginia |
| 2004 | Amy Silberberg, Minnesota |
| 2003 | H. David Kirk, British Columbia |
| 2002 | MaryLee Allen, District of Columbia |
| 2001 | Joyce Maguire Pavao, Massachusetts |
| 2000 | Carol Williams, District of Columbia |
| 1999 | Sara Berman, California |
| 1998 | Judith Anderson, Minnesota |
| 1997 | Carolyn Johnson, Pennsylvania |
| 1996 | Bob and Dorothy DeBolt, California |
| 1995 | Dave Thomas, Ohio |
| 1994 | Ernesto Loperena, New York |
| 1993 | Gary Morgan, Illinois |
| 1992 | Ken Watson, West Virginia |
| 1991 | Joan and Bernard McNamara, North Carolina |
| 1990 | Kathryn Donley, New York |
| 1989 | Sydney Duncan, Michigan |
| 1988 | Elizabeth S. Cole, North Carolina |
| 1987 | Barbara Tremitiere, Pennsylvania |
| 1986 | Peggy Soule, New York |
| 1985 | Dawn Degenhardt, Maine |
| 1984 | Judith Ashton, New York |
| 1982 | Father George Clements, Illinois |
| 1980 | David Soukup, Washington |
| 1978 | George Miller, California |
Parent Group of the Year
| Year | Recipient |
| 2016 | Adoption Resource Centers of Missouri |
| 2015 | Indiana Foster Care and Adoption Association, Indiana |
| 2014 | Adoption Network Cleveland Post-Adoption Support Group, Ohio |
| 2013 | Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine Families with Children from South Africa, Ontario |
| 2012 | Foster and Adoptive Parent Advocacy Center, District of Columbia |
| 2011 | Iowa Foster and Adoptive Parent Association |
| 2010 | Adoption Support for Kentucky |
| 2009 | Cuyahoga County Cluster Support Group, Ohio |
| 2008 | Adoption Support Centre of Saskatchewan |
| 2007 | Alabama Foster & Adoptive Parents Association, Alabama |
| 2006 | Louisiana Adoption Advisory Board, Louisiana |
| 2005 | Heritage Family Preservation Center, Florida |
| 2004 | Adoption and Blended Family Ministry, Maryland |
| 2003 | Society of Special Needs Adoptive Parents, British Columbia |
| 2002 | Concerned Persons for Adoption, New Jersey |
| 2001 | Adoptive Parents Committee, New York |
| 2000 | FAIR (Families Adopting in Response), California |
| 1999 | Adoptive Families Together, Massachusetts |
Youth Advocate of the Year
| Year | Recipient |
| 2016 | George White, California |
| 2015 | Precious Rooks, Texas |
| 2014 | Claudia Felder, California |
| 2013 | Alisha Badeau, New Brunswick and Alisha Bowie, Ontario |
| 2012 | Christina Hume, Virginia and Betty Krupa, District of Columbia |
| 2011 | La Terra Cole, Colorado |
| 2010 | Jarel Melendez, New York |
| 2009 | Maurice Webb, North Carolina |
| 2008 | Coltyn Renzetti, Alberta |
| 2007 | Anni Keane, New York |
| 2006 | Wendy Piccus, California |
| 2005 | Bobbie Junker, Minnesota |
| 2004 | Chris Brown, Kentucky and Ashley Rhodes-Courter, Florida |
| 2003 | April Curtis, Illinois |
| 2002 | Anthony Barrows, Massachusetts |
| 2001 | Jennifer Hoxie, Maine |
Friend of Children
| Year | Recipient |
| 2016 | National Down Syndrome Adoption Network, Ohio |
| 2015 | Judge Michael Nash, California |
| 2013 | Cindy Blackstock, Ontario |
| 2012 | Dr. Richard P. Barth, Maryland |
| 2011 | Judge Karen Ashby, Colorado |
| 2010 | Dr. John Raible, Nebraska |
| 2009 | O. Jane Morgan, District of Columbia |
| 2008 | Nancy Umbach, Ontario |
| 2007 | Dr. Scott Ryan, Florida |
| 2006 | Michael Piraino and CASA Volunteers, Washington |
| 2005 | Korean Identity Development Society, Washington |
| 2004 | Martha Osborne, Louisiana |
| 2003 | Hyun Sook Han, Minnesota |
| 2002 | Dr. Dana Johnson and Staff, International Adoption Clinic, Minnesota |
| 2001 | Brian Boyd, Minnesota |
| 2000 | Susan Cox, Oregon |
| 1999 | Maureen Evans, Maryland |
| 1998 | Anna Marie Merrill, Connecticut |
| 1997 | Sandra Scarth, British Columbia |
| 1996 | Adoptive Parent Association of British Columbia, British Columbia |
| 1995 | Nancy Fox, Michigan |
| 1994 | Jerri Jenista, Michigan |
| 1993 | Merrily Ripley, Washington |
| 1992 | Bonnie and Fred Cappuccino, Ontario |
| 1991 | Byung Kak Cho |
| 1990 | Sunil Prakash |
| 1989 | Adoptive Families of America |
| 1988 | Betty Laning, Massachusetts |
| 1987 | Teri Bacall, Minnesota |
| 1986 | Bertha Holt, Oregon |
| 1985 | Jodie Darragh, Georgia |
| 1984 | Sherry Clark |
| 1982 | Father Alfred Keane, Georgia |
Corporate Award for Special Achievement in Adoption
| Year | Recipient |
| 2014 | KSDK News Channel 5 and “A Place to Call Home,” Missouri |
| 2012 | Annie E. Casey Foundation, Maryland |
| 2011 | Human Rights Campaign, District of Columbia |
| 2010 | Ad Council, New York |
| 2009 | The Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption/Wendy’s Wonderful Kids, Ohio |
| 2008 | Jockey International, Wisconsin |
| 2007 | The Freddie Mac Foundation, Virginia |
| 2006 | Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP, California |
| 2005 | Times Picayne Newspaper, Louisiana The Toronto Star and Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services |
| 2004 | Mike Givens and Denny Hecker, Minnesota The Pew Charitable Trusts, Pennsylvania Thrifty’s Foods, Inc., British Columbia |
| 2003 | Wendy’s Restaurants of Canada |
Adoption Activists
| Year | Recipient |
|
2016 |
James M. Henry, Tennessee |
|
2015 |
Judy Cockerton, Massachusetts |
|
2013 |
Marvin Berstein, Ontario |
|
2012 |
AdoptOntario |
|
2011 |
André Fontaine, Ontario |
|
2010 |
WTNH-8/Wednesday’s Child Team (Ted Koppy, Jim Bagley, George DeYounge, Adam Francis, Ken Melech, and Keith Porter), Connecticut |
|
2009 |
Susan Crawford, Ontario |
|
2008 |
Jeannine Carriere, British Columbia |
|
2007 |
Philip and Gay Courter/Courter Films & Associates, Florida |
|
2006 |
Adopt Cuyahoga’s Kids, Ohio |
|
2005 |
Barry Chaffkin, New York |
|
2004 |
Chief Justice Kathleen Blatz, Minnesota |
|
2003 |
William Fuser, California |
|
2002 |
Jack Brennan and Helene Gershowitz, New York |
|
2001 |
Robin Hilborn, Ontario |
|
2000 |
Sue Badeau, Pennsylvania |
|
1999 |
Rusty Gatenby, KSTP, Minnesota |
|
1998 |
Sherry Anderson, Pennsylvania |
|
1997 |
Meri Brennan, Idaho |
|
1996 |
Adopting Children Together, Inc., Texas |
|
1995 |
Katherine Christianson |
|
1994 |
Delmar Weathers, District of Columbia. |
|
1993 |
Merri Dee, Illinois |
|
1992 |
Dallas Minority Adoption Council, Texas |
|
1991 |
Mary Pat Clemmons, Illinois |
|
1990 |
Clarence Gillispie, Michigan |
|
1989 |
Pat Johnston, Indiana |
|
1988 |
Maris Blechner, New York |
|
1987 |
Barb Brown, Delaware |
|
1986 |
Jack Felty, Kentucky |
|
1985 |
Adoptive Parents Together, Indiana |
Special Awards
President’s Award
| Year | Recipient |
|
2008 |
Chief Marcel Balfour and Councillor Mike Muswagon, Norway House Cree Nation, Manitoba |
|
2001 |
Emma Culpepper, Florida |
Special Achievement Award
| Year | Recipient |
|
2005 |
Victoria Leach, Ontario |