Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute

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.

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 10, 2022 – The Board of Directors of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) has named its officers for 2022: Susan Neely (Chair), Rita Lewis (Vice Chair), Brian Graff (Treasurer), and Susan Hirschmann (Secretary).

CCAI is grateful to its co-founder and outgoing Board Chair, the Honorable Mary Landrieu, for her commitment to CCAI and its belief that every child deserves a safe, stable, and nurturing family. While in the Senate, she led the charge with her Congressional Coalition on Adoption co-chairs to establish CCAI as a resource on adoption and foster care. Senator Landrieu has played an integral role in CCAI’s mission throughout its 20-year history, including the past three years as its Chair. CCAI is delighted she will remain a member of the Board of Directors and continue to support policies that make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children and families.

“It’s been my honor to serve with a terrific Board, advisory council, and very dedicated Members of Congress including my dear friends Senators Roy Blunt, Amy Klobuchar, and others these last three years as Chair,” said Senator Landrieu. “I look forward to serving on the Board in a different capacity and helping with the challenges ahead. CCAI’s mission of building solid bipartisan consensus and progress on the best family supports with this country’s child welfare policies remain an important goal for all of us.”

Susan Neely has served on the CCAI Board of Directors since 2016 and was the organization’s Vice Chair in 2021. Since September 2018, Ms. Neely has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI). Before joining ACLI, Ms. Neely led the American Beverage Association, where she helped companies like Pepsi and Coca-Cola navigate the sugar wars by forging unlikely partnerships with President Clinton’s Global Initiative and First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign. Before that, Ms. Neely was special assistant to President George W. Bush on the frontlines of creating the Department of Homeland Security after 9/11, serving as the first DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs. In addition to her work with CCAI, she is a director on the Board of the Global Child Nutrition Foundation. Ms. Neely is the mother of two adult children, Eve and Ben.

“I thank Senator Landrieu for her leadership as CCAI Chair and her tireless work in support of its mission,” said Ms. Neely. “For two decades, CCAI has worked with Members of Congress from both sides of the political aisle to help children in need of a nurturing and loving home. I am honored to be named Chair of CCAI and look forward to building on the organization’s efforts that have helped millions of children find a forever family.”

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.

CCAI is governed by a Board of Directors whose members include Susan Neely, President and CEO of American Council of Life Insurers; Rita Lewis, President of RML Strategies; Brian Graff, CEO of American Retirement Association; Susan Hirschmann, CEO of Williams & Jensen; Kim Carver, Vice President Governmental Relations of Gulf Coast Bank; Kelly Gage, Director of Advancement of Nomi Network; Sarah Gesiriech, Principal of 127 Strategies and Former U.S. Government Special Advisor on Children in Adversity; The Honorable Mary Landrieu, Senior Policy Advisor at Van Ness Feldman and former U.S. Senator from Louisiana; Joyce Rogers, Vice President of U.S. Policy & Public Affairs at Pfizer; Rick Spielman, General Manager of the NFL Minnesota Vikings;  and Russell Sullivan, Shareholder of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.

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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.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Board of Directors of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) announced that it has promoted Kate McLean to the position of Executive Director.

“We are so happy that Kate has agreed to step into this important leadership role with CCAI. She is passionate about our mission and brings a joyful and collaborative spirit to our work with Members of Congress and many strategic partners,” said Mary Landrieu, Chair of the Board of Directors. “The combination of Kate’s executive leadership and deep commitment to our mission makes her the ideal new Executive Director,” said Susan Neely, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors. “With her strong engagement, CCAI has had an extraordinary year of impact. We look forward to continuing our progress with Kate at the helm.”

Kate has been at CCAI since 2017, first as an intern and then attaining a spot on the team as Policy & Programs Associate beginning in January 2018. Prior to being named Executive Director, Kate managed the organization’s outreach, development, and programming as Director of Programs where she supported the implementation of CCAI’s core programs and annual projects including the Foster Youth Internship Program®, Angels in Adoption®, and National Adoption Day.

As Managing Director and now Executive Director, Kate leads the organization in increasing CCAI’s visibility and impact among members of the adoption, foster care, and greater child welfare community; strengthening and diversifying the organization’s funding sources; and maintaining the strong relationship that exists between CCAI and Members of Congress.

Originally from New York, Kate has been a District of Columbia resident for almost eight years. She enjoys volunteering with CASA for Children of DC and has been a Court Appointed Special Advocate since 2019. Kate holds a bachelor’s degree in international affairs with a concentration in conflict resolution and minor in Spanish from The George Washington University.

“Over the past four years, I have been honored to be able to grow with CCAI and I appreciate the board’s confidence in me to lead this important organization into our third decade,” Kate said. “I believe wholeheartedly that CCAI’s resilience and relevancy will continue to build as now, more than ever, we need a world in which every child knows the love and support of a family. I look forward to continuing my work with the caucus and CCAI community to identify and remove barriers for vulnerable children and families.”

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.

CCAI is governed by a Board of Directors whose members include The Honorable Mary Landrieu, Senior Policy Advisor at Van Ness Feldman and former U.S. Senator from Louisiana; Susan Neely, President and CEO of American Council of Life Insurers; Brian Graff, CEO of American Retirement Association; Susan Hirschmann, CEO of Williams & Jensen; Kim Carver, Vice President Governmental Relations of Gulf Coast Bank; Kelly Gage, Director of Advancement of Nomi Network; Sarah Gesiriech, Principal of 127 Strategies and Former U.S. Government Special Advisor on Children in Adversity; Rita Lewis, President of RML Strategies; Joyce Rogers, Vice President of U.S. Policy & Public Affairs at Pfizer; Rick Spielman, General Manager of the NFL Minnesota Vikings;  and Russell Sullivan, Shareholder of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.

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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.

The tragic shooting and death of Ma’Khia Bryant earlier this week in Columbus, Ohio, requires a full and complete investigation into the law enforcement response that night and the underlying foster care provided by the family. This tragedy could and should have been prevented and we, at CCAI, will continue our advocacy work here on Capitol Hill with our strategic partners across the country and world to fight for best practices in family support and stabilization and nurturing family based care for vulnerable children.

For Immediate Release
Contact: Taylor Draddy
202-544-8500
taylor@ccainstitute.org

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 8, 2021 –The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), in partnership with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption (CCA), announced the newest CCA co-chair for the 117^th Congress: U.S. Representative Adam Smith of Washington state.

The CCA is the largest bicameral, bipartisan congressional member organization and works to engage Members of Congress on issues pertaining to the needs of children and youth in the U.S. foster care system, adoptees, supporting and strengthening families, and strengthening domestic and international child welfare, as well as to advocate for every child’s right to a safe, stable, nurturing, and permanent family. The role of the CCA co-chairs is to lead and actively engage their colleagues in Congress and draft and support federal policies that help vulnerable children, youth, and families and strengthen child welfare systems.

Representative Smith was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996 and represents the 9th district of Washington. Currently, he serves as the Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. The Congressman previously served in the Washington State Senate and has a long history of being a strong advocate for children and families as an adoptee himself. He has led the efforts to close a loophole to provide U.S. citizenship to international adoptees brought to the U.S. as children but were never granted citizenship.

Representative Smith joins the CCA’s three current co-chairs: Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, and Representative Robert Aderholt of Alabama.

“I am proud to co-chair the Congressional Coalition on Adoption for the 117th Congress with Co-Chairs Amy Klobuchar, Roy Blunt, and Robert Aderholt,” said Congressman Adam Smith. “We must ensure we are providing support for our most vulnerable children, including orphaned and foster youth, and enacting policies that give children in need an opportunity to find permanent homes. I look forward to continuing the great work the coalition has done to raise awareness about issues related to orphans, youth in foster care, and adoptees.”

“I’m thrilled to welcome Representative Smith – a longtime advocate for children and families and an adoptee himself – as a co-chair of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption,” said Klobuchar. “I’m confident that together we’ll continue to advance policies that support families and children during the adoption process, helping to ensure all children have 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 vulnerable children and youth, the families that care for them, 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 Adoption Caucus is the largest bipartisan, bicameral caucus in the U.S. Congress for a reason. Ensuring that all children have a stable home and loving family is a bipartisan priority,” said Blunt. “I look forward to working with Congressman Smith and our fellow caucus co-chairs and members to continue our efforts to improve the adoption process, support families, and get us closer to our goal of seeing every child in the safe, permanent home they deserve.”

“Congressman Smith and I are both members of the Congressional Class of 1996,” said Congressman Robert Aderholt. “I’ve known him for a long time now, and he will make a great addition to our efforts to promote and support adoption – both domestic and international.”

The co-chairs and CCA are supported by CCAI, the non-profit institute dedicated to raising awareness about children in need of families both domestically and internationally and to eliminating the policy barriers that hinder children from having safe, nurturing, and forever families.

“CCAI is happy to have Congressman Smith is stepping into the role of co-chair of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption,” said CCAI’s Board of Directors Chair, The Honorable Mary Landrieu. “Amazing things can happen when Members choose to come together across party lines to elevate the needs of children, youth, and families. We are so grateful for Congressman Smith’s willingness to join the three other co-chairs of the CCA who work with their colleagues on behalf of vulnerable children.”

In the last 36 years, Members of the CCA have led Congress in the passage of legislation that has dramatically improved the lives of children and families including the “Family First Prevention and Services Act,” the “Adoption and Safe Families Act,” the “John Chafee Foster Care Independence Act,” the “Promoting Safe and Stable Families Act,” the “Hope for Children Act,” the “Intercountry Adoption Act,” the “Fostering Connections and Increasing Adoptions Act,” and the “Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act.”

Today there are over 423,000 children in foster care, and nearly 123,000 of these children are eligible for adoption, waiting for families to call their own. Children living in orphanages globally are estimated conservatively at eight million, with unknown numbers living on the streets.

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The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (www.ccainstitute.org) is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization that serves as an objective, educational resource for information critical to advancing the efforts of federal policymakers on behalf of children in need of families. To learn more about CCAI, follow the organization on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.