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Ken Tutterow first became involved with the Children’s Home Society of North Carolina as a foster parent more than 20 years ago.

He was so passionate about the work and goals of the society that he joined the board, and then, after 23 years working for Blue Bell, left that company to become president and CEO of the society in 1990.

Tutterow was honored for his work with the Children’s Home Society Wednesday when he was recognized in Washington as a 2009 Angel in Adoption by the Coalition on Adoption Institute.

Selected for the honor by Sen. Kay Hagan, Tutterow was recognized for his advocacy of adoption and foster-care issues.

The Angels in Adoption program is a public-awareness campaign that provides all members of the U.S. Congress an opportunity to honor the good work of their constituents who have enriched the lives of children in foster care and orphans in the U.S. and abroad. Tutterow was one of 190 “angels” recognized.

Tutterow said receiving this award made the last 20-plus years even more rewarding.

“On those days that I have felt that I was not making a difference, I only had to remember one of the children we had placed in an adoptive home, and it made it all worthwhile,” he said.

Tutterow and his first wife, who died in 2002, became involved with the Children’s Home Society as foster parents in 1980. They had three teenage daughters at home who wanted a baby in the family. At first, Tutterow was not thrilled with the idea because of having to give the children up when they were placed in an adoptive home.

“I quickly found that this was not a major issue, because we realized that the adoptive parents had waited so long and were thrilled to have their family completed,” Tutterow said. “We felt that starting the infants in a family setting was the best way for them to begin their lives.”

The couple were foster parents for 10 years, keeping 50 children in their home during that time. All were newborns whom they kept for 30 to 45 days until they were placed with adoptive families.

“You quickly realized that the first few weeks are so important in the life of an infant, and you have a chance to give them a good start,” Tutterow said. “I also realized that in many cases, the older children who are in the DSS system missed out on this early start, and it made me realize that this was one way I could give back.”

In its 109th year, the Children’s Home Society of North Carolina has broadened its services over the years and is the largest private, state-wide adoption agency, Tutterow said.

“Our vision for the future is that we will have the families to place all the children that are referred to us by the Department of Social Services,” he said. “These are the children who have been removed from their birth families, generally for abuse and neglect.”

While strides have been made, Tutterow said there is still much work to be done.

“We need to be in a position to offer a broader array of services to families, and I plan to be part of these goals for several years,” Tutterow said.

Contact Jennifer Atkins Brown at 574-5582 or jennifer.brown@news-record.com