Washington, DC – Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT) met with 14-year-old Haley Dunning of Stratford (photo attached), the congresswoman’s nominee for the 2009 Angels in Adoption Award. Dunning was visiting Washington, D.C. as part of the festivities surrounding the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s Angels in Adoption™ Program. Inspired by the example of 10-year-old Aubyn Burnside, who collected suitcases for foster children in North Carolina in 1995, Dunning launched the National Suitcase for Kids program in Stratford, Connecticut. As a result of her efforts, over 125 Connecticut children in foster care will have a new suitcase to move their belongings into a new foster home.

“Haley is an inspiration,” said Congresswoman DeLauro. “She has shown us all what a difference we can make in our communities, if we just take the time to get involved. Haley was not content just to find out about the problems facing foster children. She got active about making a difference, and as a result the lives of foster kids in her community have been improved.”

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s Angels in Adoption™ Program provides Members of Congress the opportunity to honor an individual or entity from their district that has made an extraordinary contribution on behalf of children in need of homes. These heroes hail from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico and represent the wide spectrum of individuals involved in the adoption and foster care process. Since the program’s inception, over 1400 Angels have received this honor. CCAI also honors a select number of National Angels in Adoption™. As the name implies, these are individuals whose contributions in the fields of adoption or foster care have had a national impact. Past recipients of this award include First Lady Laura Bush, Bruce Willis, Muhammad Ali, Patti LaBelle, Jane Seymour, Henry Winkler, and CBS Studios.

For information about becoming a foster parent, or to donate a suitcase to Haley’s organization call (203) 583-9374, or go to the “Suitcases For Kids” Website at www.suitcasesforkids.org.