Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute

Washington, D.C., February 27, 2025 – The Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CCA) Caucus, in partnership with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), has named Representative Danny K. Davis (D-IL) the new co-chair of the Adoption Caucus.

The CCA is historically the largest bicameral, bipartisan congressional member organization and works to engage Members of Congress on issues related to family permanency in child welfare. The Caucus and its Institute are deeply committed to bipartisanship and brings together Democrats and Republicans with the shared goal of improving the lives of children and families by uniting to ensure that all children know the love and support of a family through legal permanency in the forms of adoption, reunification, guardianship, and kinship care.

As a longtime champion for children and families, Representative Davis will work alongside fellow Caucus leaders to advance bipartisan initiatives and actively engage their colleagues in Congress in drafting and supporting federal policies that help vulnerable children, youth, and families and strengthen child welfare systems.

“I am deeply honored to lead the Congressional Coalition on Adoption for the 119th Congress with Co-Chairs Amy Klobuchar, Robert Aderholt, and Kevin Cramer,” said Davis. “Our bipartisan goal is to help children and families thrive by promoting policies to support permanency through adoption, reunification, guardianship, or kinship care.  The Coalition’s work educating lawmakers about and supporting policies to strengthen the child welfare system are essential to improving the lives of children and families.  I know first-hand the benefits of the Coalition’s work, and I am proud to serve an active role in this important organization.”

As an active Caucus member, Representative Davis has hosted multiple participants from the CCAI Foster Youth Internship Program® to intern in his congressional office. Over the last decade, Representative Davis has highlighted some of the extraordinary work being done in his district through the CCAI Angels in Adoption® Program.

As the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Work and Welfare for the 119th Congress, Representative Davis is a leader in promoting policies that support vulnerable children and families. The bipartisan subcommittee’s efforts led to the passage of the Supporting America’s Children and Families Act (H.R. 9076), a landmark law strengthening child welfare funding and support services. This legislation marks the first full reauthorization of Title IV-B child welfare programs in over 15 years which ensures critical federal support for family preservation and foster care nationwide.

Additionally, Representative Davis was the lead sponsor of the Foster Youth Driving Act (H.R. 1446) which expands state foster care and adoption assistance programs to provide driving preparation assistance to foster youth, and the Adoption Tax Credit Refundability Act (H.R. 3662), which seeks to make the adoption tax credit fully refundable to ensure that families of all income levels can afford the costs associated with adoption.

Through his leadership in Congress, Davis has consistently advocated for bipartisan solutions to improve adoption and foster care policies, reduce barriers for prospective parents, and ensure that policy barriers are removed that prevent children from finding permanent, safe, and nurturing families. As co-chair of the Adoption Caucus, he will continue to champion these priorities and collaborate with stakeholders to make meaningful progress on behalf of children and families nationwide. Representative Davis joins the CCA’s three current co-chairs: Representative Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), and Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). 

“I am honored to welcome Congressman Danny Davis as a new Democrat co-chair of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption. His dedication to the well-being of children and families aligns perfectly with the mission of the CCA, and I look forward to working alongside him to promote policies that support adoption and foster care,” said Aderholt. “Ensuring that every child has the opportunity to grow up in a safe, loving, and permanent home is a goal that transcends party lines, and I am confident that Congressman Davis’s leadership will be a tremendous asset to this vital cause.” 

By joining the CCA, Members of Congress have the opportunity to participate in programs and events throughout the year that allow them to interact with children and youth, the families that care for them, organizations that work to support youth and families, and subject matter experts to hear the stories of the challenges and opportunities they experience and to strengthen federal policy with this information. 

“As a member of both the Adoption and Foster Youth Caucuses, Congressman Davis is a leader in improving the lives of vulnerable children, including working to pass bipartisan legislation to support adoption services,” said Klobuchar. “I look forward to continuing to work with Congressman Davis as a co-chair of the Adoption Caucus to help every child find the safe, loving and permanent family they deserve.”

“Danny Davis is a champion for supporting adoptive children and families,” said Cramer. I look forward to working with him and our fellow co-chairs of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption to improve the adoption process, because every child should know a permanent family’s unconditional love and support.”

CCAI, a nonprofit institute, supports the co-chairs and CCA by raising awareness and removing policy barriers about children and youth in need of safe, nurturing, and permanent families.

“CCAI welcomes Representative Davis as our new co-chair,” said CCAI’s Executive Director, Kate McLean. “As Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Work and Welfare, the Congressman has been an effective legislator with a strong track record of advancing policies that promote safety, stability, and permanency for children and families. We are grateful for Representative Davis’s leadership in ensuring more children find safe, permanent families.”

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to eliminating barriers that prevent children from being part of safe, nurturing, and permanent families. CCAI has served as a trusted, principal source of the information, expertise, and resources needed by Members of Congress’ Adoption Caucus, Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CCA), on permanency issues both in the United States and around the world for 24 years.

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Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 2001 to eliminate the barriers that prevent children from being part of a safe, nurturing, and permanent family. For more information or to learn about the work of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, visit https://www.ccainstitute.org or contact info@ccainstitute.org or (202) 544-8500.

CCAI recently celebrated the 25th year of its Angels in Adoption® Leadership Program, a nationally renowned public awareness program celebrating adoption, foster care, and those who have made an extraordinary impact on behalf of children in need of safe and nurturing families. This year, nearly 50 Angels from 30 states, as well as three National Angels, were honored through the 25th Annual Angels in Adoption® Program. Our Angels are adoptees, former foster youth, foster parents, adoptive parents, judges, social workers, scholars, lawyers, volunteers, nonprofit leaders, and fierce advocates – all champions in their communities across the United States. CCAI is honored to help give a platform to these champions on Capitol Hill. You can read their biographies here.

Washington, D.C., January 31, 2023 – Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), in partnership with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CCA), announced the newest CCA Co-Chair for the 118th Congress is U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota.

The CCA is the largest bicameral, bipartisan congressional member organization and works to engage Members of Congress on issues related to child welfare and permanency. The caucus is deeply committed to bipartisanship and brings together Democrats and Republicans with the shared goal of improving the lives of children and families by uniting to ensure that all children know the love and support of a family through legal permanency in the forms of adoption, reunification, guardianship, and kinship care.

The role of the CCA Co-Chairs is to lead and actively engage their colleagues in Congress in drafting and supporting federal policies that help vulnerable children, youth, and families and strengthen child welfare systems.

Senator Kevin Cramer was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2018 after serving three terms as North Dakota’s At-Large Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. As a longtime CCA Member and father of six, Senator Cramer is a strong advocate for children and families. He is deeply committed to bipartisanship, strengthening families, and permanency. His personal connection to these issues in being an adoptive dad drives him in his work as a leader of the CCA. Additionally, Senator Cramer serves on the Armed Services, Environment and Public Works, Veterans Affairs, Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and Budget Committees.

“I am honored to lead the Congressional Coalition on Adoption for the 118th Congress with Co-Chairs Amy Klobuchar, Robert Aderholt, and Adam Smith,” said Cramer. “Our goal is to promote policies to help ensure as many children as possible know the unconditional love and support of a permanent family. That means educating people about adoption and foster programs, raising awareness of participation and engagement opportunities, and providing resources to individuals and entities entrusted with making decisions on children’s behalf.”

Senator Cramer joins the CCA’s three current Co-Chairs: Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Representatives Robert Aderholt of Alabama and Adam Smith of Washington.

“As an adoptive father, Senator Cramer understands firsthand the importance of families who open their hearts and homes to children,” said Klobuchar. “I look forward to working with Senator Cramer and our House co-chairs to improve the adoption process and help every child find the safe, loving home they deserve.”  

By joining the CCA, Members of Congress have the opportunity to participate in programs and events throughout the year that allow them to interact with children and youth, the families that care for them, organizations that work to support youth and families, and subject matter experts to hear the stories of the challenges and opportunities they experience and to strengthen federal policy with this information.

“The Congressional Coalition on Adoption is committed to advocating for policies that improve foster care and encourage permanency,” said Aderholt.  “Senator Cramer and our CCA leaders will continue to pursue policy on behalf of our mission: a world in which every child knows the love and support of a family.” 

Today, there are over 391,000 children in foster care, and over 113,000 of these children are eligible for adoption, waiting for families to call their own. Children living outside of family care globally are estimated conservatively at eight million.

“The Congressional Coalition on Adoption is committed to removing policy barriers that prevent children from finding safe, nurturing, and permanent families,” said Smith. “I look forward to working closely with Senator Cramer to advocate for policies that promote permanency for every child and family in the U.S. and around the world.”  

The Co-Chairs and CCA are supported by CCAI, the nonprofit institute dedicated to raising awareness about children in need of safe and nurturing families both domestically and internationally and eliminating the policy barriers that hinder children from having permanent families.

“CCAI is thrilled to have Senator Cramer step into the role of Co-Chair,” said CCAI’s Executive Director, Kate McLean. “He has demonstrated a strong commitment to making a difference for vulnerable children and families through effective policy, and we are grateful for Senator Cramer’s willingness to lead important permanency work in Congress.”

In the last 38 years, Members of the CCA have led Congress in the passage of historic legislation that has dramatically improved the lives of children and families including the Supporting Foster Youth and Families through the Pandemic Act, Family First Prevention Services Act, Adoption and Safe Families Act, John Chafee Foster Care Independence Act, Promoting Safe and Stable Families Act, Hope for Children Act, Intercountry Adoption Act, Fostering Connections and Increasing Adoptions Act, Intercountry Adoption and Simplification Act, and Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act.

CCAI has been an established resource for the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, the largest bicameral, bipartisan caucus in the U.S. Congress since 2001. CCAI works to engage Members of Congress on issues pertaining to children in need of permanency, domestic, and international child welfare, as well as to advocate for every child’s right to a safe, stable, and nurturing family. CCAI works to provide federal policymakers with information and resources through its core programs, including the Congressional Resource Program, Angels in Adoption® Leadership Program, Foster Youth Internship Program®, and 20/20 Vision Program. CCAI believes every child deserves a family, and every family deserves a caring community.

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The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to raising awareness about the millions of children around the world in need of permanent, safe, and nurturing families and to eliminate the legal, social, and financial barriers that hinder these children from realizing their basic right of a family.

For more information or to learn about the work of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, visit http://www.ccainstitute.org or contact info@ccainstitute.org or (202) 544-8500.

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 26, 2022 – The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), partnered nonprofit to the Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CCA), is pleased to welcome Angelique Salizan as the organization’s Policy Director. As of January 31, she will lead CCAI’s government relations, education, and advocacy strategies in domestic and international child welfare, permanency, and adoption policy.

“There are various challenges when it comes to addressing the needs of children and families. I am eager to build on the established advocacy and policy efforts at CCAI. My priority is to collaborate with Members of Congress, child welfare leaders, and impacted voices to holistically resource and educate the caucus on nonpartisan policies to ensure children all over the world have a permanent, safe, and loving family,” said Angelique Salizan, CCAI Policy Director. “I look forward to reconnecting with Members of Congress and their staff as well as forge new relationships with congressional partners and the community to address policy challenges and opportunities.”

Prior to joining CCAI, Angelique’s work in child welfare advocacy, policy, and reform dates back to 2013 when she participated in a New York State campaign advocating for support services for foster youth pursuing a higher education with the Children’s Aid Society, a program that is still in existence today. These efforts led to an internship and career working for the United States Senate as a congressional staff member.

In fact, Angelique was first introduced to CCAI through her participation in the 2015 Foster Youth Internship Program® where she worked as a congressional intern with the United States Senate Committee on Finance. Angelique is a published author in CCAI’s Embracing Our Past, Empowering Their Future: Why Child Welfare Reform Matters on the topic of closing the educational gap for foster youth by addressing the need for educational-vocational specialists.

Angelique has a wealth of policy experience and is skilled in facilitation, community and outreach engagement, public advocacy campaigns, government and constituent relations, and has been successful at coalition and capacity building among youth,  personnel, and leaders in the child welfare community locally and nationally. Her career includes roles with the offices of U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (OR) and Debbie Stabenow (MI) – both members of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption – as well as U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (OH).

As a Legislative Correspondent for Senator Brown, Angelique managed constituent engagement and policy priorities on a host of issues most notably, child welfare, social services, and education. While in Senator Brown’s office, she co-led the introduction of child welfare legislation such as the Family First Transition and Support Act and the Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act which passed in the 2020 omnibus spending bill.

Most recently, Angelique served on the design team to produce a paper commissioned by College Promise examining how college promise programs can assist youth in or out of care in obtaining an undergraduate degree. She additionally served on the release of a policy brief detailing how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted foster youth currently in college. Angelique has also served as a consultant for the Capacity Building Center for States, an initiative of the Children’s Bureau’s Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative, for over five years to inform and assist states and agencies in building their capacities on a host of  child welfare issues. She most recently served as a Division X consultant with the Center to advise and provide consultation on youth development practices, provide policy expertise to inform planning, and contribute to continuous quality improvement efforts.

 “Over the past six plus years, Angelique has been a great friend and volunteer to the organization, and we are thrilled to welcome her back to our small but mighty team doing big things on behalf of vulnerable children and families,” said Kate McLean, CCAI’s Executive Director. “Angelique brings tremendous expertise and excellence to CCAI, and I am confident she will continue to build on the positive momentum in children and family policy in collaboration with the caucus and its leaders in Congress.”

Angelique earned an associate degree in humanities from Sullivan County Community College, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Binghamton University in New York as well as a Project Management Certificate from the Kent State Center for Corporate & Professional Development in Ohio. In 2020, Angelique completed a master’s in policy management from Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.

For 20 years, CCAI has been an established resource for the Congressional Coalition on Adoption, the largest bicameral, bipartisan congressional member organization. CCAI works to engage Members of Congress on issues pertaining to children in need of permanency, domestic, and international child welfare, as well as to advocate for every child’s right to a safe, stable, and nurturing family. CCAI works to provide federal policymakers with the information and resources needed to make the dream of a forever family for every child a reality through its core programs, including the Congressional Resource Program, Angels in Adoption®, Foster Youth Internship Program®, and 20/20 Vision Program.

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The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to raising awareness about the millions of children around the world in need of permanent, safe, and nurturing homes and to eliminate the legal, social, and financial barriers that hinder these children from realizing their basic right of a family.

For more information or to learn about the work of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, visit http://www.ccainstitute.org or contact info@ccainstitute.org or (202) 544-8500.