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(Paramus, NJ) September 24, 2007 - Patricia and Raymond Dansen of North Haledon, Ronald and Jonelle von Autenreid of Park Ridge, Maria and Miguel Perdomo of Teaneck, and Dana Fried of Morris Township, have all been selected as 2007 Angels in Adoption™. They will be honored at the ninth annual Angels in Adoption gala on Thursday, October 4, 2007, at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C.
Each year, members of Congress select individuals, families or organizations from their home states that have demonstrated a commitment to improving the lives of children in need of homes. U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) nominated the Dansens, U.S. Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) nominated the von Autenreids, U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-NJ) nominated the Perdomos, and U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) nominated Ms. Fried.
Patricia and Raymond Dansen reside in North Haledon, NJ. They have fostered eight children during the past four years, one of whom they adopted. Mr. and Mrs. Dansen have three birth children; Nicholas, age 9, Zachary, age 5, and Rebecca, age 3. Ladai, their adopted daughter, is 4 years old, and was the first infant the Dansens fostered.
Mrs. Dansen provides a structured, child-friendly atmosphere for the babies and toddlers in her home, and enjoys entertaining the children with arts and crafts, baking, playing with toys, and reading books. Besides fostering children, she is a great asset to Children's Aid and Family Services' Boarder Babies Program, in which individuals or families provide foster care for infants whose mothers are unable to care for them for a variety of reasons, including substance abuse and homelessness.
Ronald and Jonelle von Autenried, of Park Ridge, NJ, have been enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers for Children's Aid and Family Services for more than 15 years. The von Autenreids have a very personal commitment to adoption - they adopted their two daughters from the agency. This led to their active involvement as volunteers for Children's Aid and Family Services. Mr. von Autenreid joined the agency's Board of Trustees in 1990. Since 1996, he has served as Chair of the Board, after serving in many leadership roles, including: First Vice Chair, Chair of the Development Committee, and member of the Building and Grounds Committee. Mrs. von Autenried serves on the Advisory Board of the agency's Children's Haven group foster home for teenage boys in Park Ridge.
Maria and Miguel Perdomo of Teaneck, NJ, have dedicated the past 10 years of their lives to creating a safe and healthy environment for children in the foster care system. As therapeutic foster parents with Children's Aid and Family Services since December 1997, they have fostered seven children, ranging in age from 6 to 19 years. Mr. and Mrs. Perdomo adopted three of their foster children, and are planning to adopt their fourth. Mr. and Mrs. Perdomo are partners in parenting and emphasize values such as honesty, integrity, and the importance of open communication. Two of their sons, one foster and one now adopted, were placed with the Perdomos at the ages of 10 and 8, respectively. Mr. and Mrs. Perdomo encourage their children to be active in recreational and community programs, such as basketball, football, track, baseball, and Girl Scouts.
Dana Fried is a valued staff member of Children's Aid and Family Services. She serves as the resource development coordinator of New Jersey Adoption Research Clearing House (NJARCH), a statewide, one-stop adoption and resource service in South Orange that is part of Children's Aid and Family Services. In 1996, Ms. Fried and her husband began the process of adopting a son from Guatemala. Before they finalized the adoption, they joined Concerned Persons for Adoption (CPFA), a support group that meets in Whippany, NJ. Ms. Fried became a board member of CPFA, serving as the international adoption co-chair, the social co-chair and is currently the publicity chairperson.
Children's Aid and Family Services is proud of the contributions these individuals have made to some of New Jersey's most vulnerable children. "These extraordinary individuals have certainly earned the distinction of being Angels in Adoption," says Bob Jones, Ph.D., president & CEO.
The Angels in Adoption awards are sponsored by the Congressional Coalition of Adoption Institute (CCAI), a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the tens of thousands of foster children in the United States, and the millions of orphans throughout the world, in need of permanent, safe, loving homes through adoption.
Children's Aid and Family Services is one of the largest, regional nonprofit human services agencies serving Northern New Jersey; for over 100 years this organization based in Bergen County has been striving to preserve, protect and, when
needed, provide families to children and adolescents. Motivated by compassion for vulnerable children, young adults, frail elderly and their families, Children's Aid and Family Services provides high quality and innovative services that meet their social, educational and emotional needs.
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