Grassley Presents Congressional Adoption Award to Four Oaks Family and Children's Services

Grassley Presents Congressional Adoption Award to Four Oaks Family and Children's Services

WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), co-founder and co-chair of the Senate Caucus on Foster Youth, presented Four Oaks Foster & Adoptive Family Connections with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute's (CCAI) "Angels in Adoption" award.

Four Oaks is a statewide program contracted by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services to recruit, train, license and support foster and adoptive families across Iowa.

"Every child deserves a permanent, loving home with stable and nurturing parents in their lives. For decades, Four Oaks' comprehensive approach has helped empower kids and families to succeed across Iowa. I'm proud to have nominated Four Oaks for this award and appreciate the great work they do to make a difference in the lives of thousands of children and families every year," Grassley said.

President & CEO Mary Beth O'Neill and Vice President of Operations Jen Royer accept the Angels in Adoption award from Senator Grassley.

Download more photos HERE

Four Oaks' mission is to ensure children experience safety and stability by connecting them with nurturing, diverse families who can support their healing and path to permanency. Through comprehensive training, ongoing support and dedicated advocacy, Four Oaks helps create pathways to success for children in need. Serving children and families in Iowa for more than a half-century, its work is rooted in the belief that every child deserves a safe, loving and permanent home.

Background:

The Angels in Adoption Program recognizes individuals for their contributions to adoption, foster care and child welfare. CCAI invites Angel honorees to Washington to celebrate their efforts, participate in advocacy training and share their experiences with congressional representatives. Grassley was named a member of the Advisory Council of the CCAI in 2015 and is a longtime advocate for adoptive parents and children.

Learn more about Grassley's work to support children in foster care and adoptive families:

• The Adoption and Safe Families Act, signed into law in 1997, reduces barriers to adoption and helps increase the number of adoptions across the country.
• The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoption Act, signed into law in 2008, ensures all special-needs children are eligible for federal adoption assistance.
• The Family First Prevention Services Act signed into law in 2018, gives states access to federal resources for prevention services supporting families at risk of entering the child welfare system.
• The Recruiting Families Using Data Act would strengthen state efforts to identify, recruit, screen, uplift and retain foster and adoptive families.

Grassley has also been working to assist families impacted by China's abrupt decision to end its intercountry adoption program. He's led bipartisan, bicameral letters calling on American and Chinese officials to find a resolution for families and spotlighted the issue on the Senate floor.

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