Ruth Eden Bailey Adoption Advocacy Award
For the Love of Adoption
About the Award
The Ruth Eden Bailey Adoption Advocacy Award recognizes those that stand out in the area of Adoption Advocacy. It was created to recognize and honor Ruth’s passion, creativity, and empathy combined with her extraordinary advocacy efforts. Each year at least one recipient will be chosen who continues to emulate Ruth’s advocacy efforts for children and families. The award will be presented at the Children’s Home Society’s Annual Conference November 10, 2022.
About the Honoree
The Ruth Eden Bailey Adoption Award was created to honor Ruth’s outstanding, life-long career of serving and advocating for children and families. Ruth absolutely loved her work which was obvious to everyone by her passion and persistence. For over 40 years, Ruth found homes for children and helped create families as a home finder and adoption worker. She was the heart of our Princeton program as the expert in adoption everyone turned to in southern West Virginia and statewide. Although it is easy to list Ruth’s work experience, it is much harder to share the essence of the impact she had on children, families, her colleagues, and her community. Ruth valued the importance of policy as the foundation and guide in assessing and approving families, and supporting foster children and foster adopt families. She never hesitated to challenge policy, laws, legislature, or procedures when they did not appear to be in the best interests of children.
In Ruth’s own words:
“I am so honored for having had the opportunity and freedom to have had the abilities to do something I loved, get paid for it, and hopefully been a part of making lives better for our vulnerable little ones. My heart is overflowing with such humility and love! CHS is love and there is no way I could have been any more blessed – in fact, I wish I could have done more….so much more.”
Selection Criteria
Awardees will be selected based on the description and evidence provided, which shows how they have contributed to improving the practice of adoption, supported adoptive families or birth families touched by adoption, and how they have advocated for permanency for all youth, regardless of age or history. The criteria for evaluating nominations may include, but are not limited to:
- Knowledge and passion in framing issues, solutions and “making the case” for positive change.
- Actively champions issue(s) and plays a lead role in education and awareness and pushing the limits of debate.
- Collaborates with others to further child well-being priorities, programs, and issues related to adoption.
- Remains persistent, visionary, and positive
Click on the pdf link to view the entire packet. If you choose to fill out the pdf, please send to Children’s Home Society, attention: Carna Metheney-White at 1596 Kanawha Blvd. East, Charleston, WV 25311 or email to cmethe[email protected]. Forms must be submitted by October 1st.
Ruth Eden Bailey Adoption Advocacy Award 2022
Please complete the Nomination Form below and submit no later than October 1, 2022.