WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.) has nominated Charlotte Elder, of Baltimore, Maryland, as one of this year’s Congressional Angels in Adoption Award. Elder enthusiastically opened her heart and her home to 40 foster children in the past 7 years and has welcomed three wonderful children into her permanent family. Elder has taken up advocacy for children of all backgrounds, passionately fighting for the rights and protections of children with special needs and immigrant children.
“People as compassionate and selfless as Charlotte Elder are hard to come by. Not only has she opened her heart and her home to countless children, but she has advocated in her community and in government to remove the barriers that threaten to limit their opportunities to succeed,” said Senator Cardin, who nominated Elder for the award. “Elder is an inspiration to all of us who want to make a difference in this world.”
Today, Elder continues to mentor new and existing foster families and help them navigate the on-boarding process, while traveling the country to recruit new foster parents and attend foster and adoption conferences. Her future focus includes increasing social support and resources for transracial foster families, new foster families, and families with challenging placements.
The Congressional Angels in AdoptionTM program is sponsored by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI), which is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to raising congressional and public awareness about the tens of thousands of foster children in this country and the millions of orphans around the world in need of permanent, safe, and loving homes. Senator Cardin is a member of the CCAI’s Advisory Board. The Angels in AdoptionTM program was created in 1999 to raise public awareness of the many different ways that committed individuals can help children and families through adoption.
This year’s nominees were honored at a national ceremony in Washington, D.C. on November 14th, sponsored by CCAI.
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