The Attachment & Trauma Network (ATN) will be honored for our 21 years of supporting and advocating for adoptive families of traumatized children and those with attachment disorders in September. ATN will receive an Angels in Adoption® award from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) on September 20 in Washington, DC. Rep. Chris van Hollen of Maryland is the Congressional member who nominated ATN. The Angels in Adoption® award was established in 1999 and has honored over 2500 individuals and organizations for their adoption-related contributions. You can see the official press release here.
ATN is no stranger to this award – several members have been recognized over the years. Our current Board Member, Sandy Davis and Advocacy Director, Toni Hoy are both past recipients. This 2016 award is given to ATN as an organization.
“It is especially important that ATN has been recognized as an organization,” says Julie Beem, ATN’s Executive Director, “because for more than two decades countless passionate volunteers have poured their hearts into this organization to push forward the mission of support, education and advocacy around the impact of trauma and the challenges of attachment disorders — often seen in adoptive families. ATN has made a critical difference in the adoption community, helping thousands of families.”
Because this is an award for the whole organization, ATN is asking everyone who has been touched by ATN over the past two decades to celebrate with us by telling stories about their ATN Angel. “Throughout September, we will be posting to social media and sending out stories of individuals who have made a difference through ATN,” Beem says. “It’s the best way we could think of to say THANK YOU to the many, many people who have helped children and families to find hope and healing.”
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What’s Angels in Adoption®?
The Angels in Adoption® Program is the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s (CCAI) signature public awareness event and provides an opportunity for all members of the U.S. Congress to honor the good work of their constituents who have enriched the lives of foster children and orphans in the United States and abroad. This year, more than 140 “Angels” are being honored through the Angels in Adoption® Program. ATN will join the other recipients September 19-21 in Washington DC.
Share how someone from ATN touched your life – Here’s what you do:
Fill out the form below, telling a brief (less than 300 words) story about a person from ATN/you met through ATN who had an impact upon your life. Or talk about programs, friends or people you’ve supported through ATN – tell us what you’ve loved. If you have a picture to share, please do! Share your stories now! Throughout September, we will share stories of how individuals connected through ATN have made a real difference in the lives of traumatized children and their families – two decades of Angels! Feel free to share as many stories as you like –and encourage others to tell about their ATN Angel too.
Do you have a picture of that special ATN Angel? Upload it HERE so we can share! To email a picture, or for any other questions, email us here.
By submitting this story, you are giving ATN permission to publish this story in its original or edited form. You are certifying that the story is your original work, no part of it is copyrighted and any photo or image is also yours and by submitting it, you’re giving us permission to print it. ATN reserves the right to edit the story for length and/or clarity and to decide which stories will be published and where they will be placed.
If you do not want your name used in the story, please make sure you uncheck the box at the end of the form.
