Washington, DC – Rep. Dave Reichert (WA-08) nominated Barbara Drennen, Founder of the Pediatric Interim Care Center in Kent, Wash. as an “Angel in Adoption” for her efforts on behalf of over 2,000 infants born addicted to drugs. Drennen will be honored at an awards ceremony today in Washington, DC. The “Angel in Adoption” award honors individuals and organizations who are truly the unsung heroes of adoption and foster care. The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) gathered nominations from 185 Members of Congress.

“Barbara Drennen's passion is providing a safe and healthy start in life for newborns suffering the effects of prenatal drug exposure,” said Congressman Dave Reichert. ”As Executive Director and cofounder of the Pediatric Interim Care Center (PICC) in Kent, Washington, she heads the nation's only newborn nursery dedicated to specialized 24-hour care of the littlest victims of drug abuse.

“Barbara came to this mission in the late 1980s as a provider of in-home care for medically fragile infants in the state foster care system. In response to the large number of infants exposed to crack cocaine, she designed a program of therapeutic care to protect these often fragile and premature babies through their first weeks of life.  At the urging of local hospitals, Barbara designed a nonprofit center to provide this care on a larger scale. Founded in 1990, PICC has brought more than 2,000 newborns safely through the hazards of withdrawal. These children, many of them now teenagers, are Barbara's greatest accomplishment and living proof that early intervention works. Two of my own grandchildren were adopted from PICC after being born to drug-addicted mothers. Both babies were weaned from their respective addictions to meth and heroin and are now healthy and thriving. My family is deeply grateful to Barbara.”

PICC completed a new home for its program in April 2006, doubling its capacity and providing a haven for drug-exposed newborns in Washington State for decades to come. In addition to leading PICC, Barbara has been a voice of advocacy for drug-exposed infants. She spearheaded legislation in Washington State requiring that newborns with positive toxicology screens for illicit drugs be reported to the Washington State Department of Health. Barbara is a resource for families, the media, the medical community, legislators, social service agencies, law enforcement officials and caregivers.  Through her books, videos, classes and 24-hour information line, she has positively impacted the lives of thousands of drug-exposed infants outside of her own community.     

The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to raising awareness about the tens of thousands of foster children in this country and the millions of orphans around the world in need of permanent, safe, and loving homes; and to eliminating the barriers that hinder these children from realizing their basic need of a family.

* Attached is a picture of Ms. Barbara Drennen holding one of the infants PICC provided care to.