Bolton Woman Honored for Adoption and Foster-care Advocacy
ANGELS
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Jessica Leving
Boston University Washington News Service
10/01/09
WASHINGTON—The usually quiet, austere halls of the Russell Senate Office Building were filled with toothy smiles, bright pastel dresses and miniature suit-jackets as children and their families from across the country flocked to Washington for the annual Angels in Adoption award ceremony Wednesday afternoon.
Etta Lappen Davis, 58, of Bolton, was among Wednesday’s honorees, after being nominated by her daughter and selected by Rep. Niki Tsongas, D-Mass., for recognition for her work helping adoption programs gain accreditation.
Ms. Lappen Davis, who heads an independent consulting company, said, “My intent is to ensure that the organizations I’m working with do a better job, so that the kids are safer and receive better services because of the work I do.”
“Most of what I do is to assist organizations with regulatory compliance,” she added. “In Worcester, I have been involved with the Henry Lee Willis Center for many years. They achieved accreditation and are now working to get reaccredited.” The Willis Center coordinates many programs to help children and families in Worcester.
Angels in Adoption is a program of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, which gives members of Congress a chance to honor constituents who have done exemplary work in the adoption field.
Ms. Lappen Davis was one of 87 award recipients who came to Washington for the ceremony and the only honoree from central Massachusetts. The awards were presented by Kathleen Strottman, the institute’s executive director and a 1994 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross.
“Etta Davis has devoted her life to helping children find safe, loving homes and families,” Ms. Tsongas, who was not present at the ceremony, said in a statement. “After being asked by a constituent to nominate Etta for this award, I was pleased to learn of her extraordinary efforts to improve the lives of children from those who have worked closely with her. It is highly fitting that Etta is recognized with this award in honor of her many years of adoption and foster-care advocacy in Massachusetts and across the country.”
Ms. Lappen Davis, who started out as a music therapist for children with special needs and worked for Massachusetts as a licensing specialist for several years, “goes above and beyond” in both her work and personal life, said her daughter, Sarah Davis, 30. “It’s such a combination for her. It’s about her level of commitment as a human being.”
In her nominating letter, her daughter, who is a professional grant writer, wrote, “What makes my mother a true ‘angel’ goes much deeper than her impressive credentials and lifelong professional achievement. I have witnessed first-hand the multifaceted support she provides to two specific families—families that I believe have managed to stay intact due to her guidance, love and expertise. She spends countless hours counseling the parents, speaking with collaborative professionals, attending team meetings and being on call for moments of crisis.”
In Washington, Ms. Lappen Davis was joined by her daughter, who flew in from Pennsylvania, as well as her own mother, who flew in from Florida.
“We met up here yesterday,” said Ms. Davis. “We’re having a three-generation sleep-over.”
In the days leading up to Wednesday’s ceremony, all three family members met with members of Congress, toured the city and attended a reception at the State Department with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“I did not want to miss that,” said Ms. Lappen Davis, of the reception. “I really wanted to see Hillary.”
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