November is National Adoption Awareness Month

St. Louis Christian Adoption Agency Director Honored

Joan Bystrom, Executive Director of Christian Family Life Center, Inc. in St. Louis, was honored at a national ceremony held in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, September 30, 2003 by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI). Mrs. Bystrom had been selected by Senator James Talent as one of the l50 Congressional Angels in Adoption for the year 2003. “I was extremely honored to have been nominated by Senator Talent for my advocacy of Romanian orphan children and involvement in domestic adoption over the years,” said Bystrom. “Senator Talent became aware of our adoption agency and my work when he intervened on behalf of hopeful Missourians waiting to adopt Romanian children. These were children who had been legally freed for adoption, but were prevented from coming to the U.S. because of a moratorium. We are

grateful for all the dedicated men and woman Senators and Congressmen, like Senator Talent associated with CCAI, who have a heart for children, and who will fight for a child’s right to have a permanent, loving home.” she continued.

CCAI is a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to raising congressional and public awareness about the tens of thousands of foster children in this country and millions of orphans around the world in need of permanent, safe, and loving homes and the elimination barriers which hinder these children from being adopted. The Angels in Adoption Program was created in l999 to raise the public awareness of the many different ways that committed individuals can help children and families through adoption. In the U.S. alone more than 550 thousand children are in the foster care system with tens of thousands available for adoption.

Each year, CCAI invites all members of Congress to participate in the Angles of Adoption Program as it is a unique opportunity for federal legislators to recognize individuals from their home states that have improved the lives of children through adoption. Since the program’s inception in l999, members of Congress have awarded over 400 Congressional Angels in Adoption from all 50 states and invited them to attend CCAI’s Angels in Adoption Awards Banquet in their honor. This year more than 150 members of Congress participated, including Senator Talent.

Bystrom, has served as Executive Director of Christian Family Life Center (CFLC) for 23 years. With a dedicated staff and board of directors, the agency has facilitated hundreds of domestic adoptions; promoted openness in adoption and early placement of children within adoptive families. In l997 the Center, became very active in Romanian adoption. Despite an imposed moratorium in Romania in 200l, CFLC has helped to facilitate the placement of several Romanian children with families here in the U.S. and continues to promote the ending of the moratorium, so that thousands of Romanian children will have the opportunity to be adopted by loving and caring families here in America. The agency also has programs in the Ukraine and Bulgaria.

Bystrom feels truly blessed to be used by God as a conduit to match children with adoptive families and believes that the sooner a child is placed within a Christ centered family the sooner they’ll learn the love of God through Jesus and the stability of a loving family.