Tester Honors Great Falls Resident for Adoption Work

Senator: Darcy Crum Has Made Life-Changing Impact on Montana Kids

(Poplar, Mont.) – U.S. Senator Jon Tester is celebrating Great Falls resident Darcy Crum, a 2018 Angels in Adoption honoree for her work connecting Montana families. The Program, now in its 20th year, is sponsored by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) to honor those who have made an exceptional contribution on behalf of children in need of families.

Crum, an attorney in Great Falls, has facilitated hundreds of adoptions over three decades of service and has advocated tirelessly for important resources that help connect children with forever families. She was instrumental in securing passage of the Montana Adoption Act of 1997 which ensures that the well-being and best interests of the child are met by adoption proceedings.

“Every child deserves a loving family and a stable home,” Tester said. “Darcy’s critical work has made a life-changing impact on hundreds of kids in Montana, and our great state is better for it.”

Since 2000, Crum has helped coordinate an adoption celebration held in Great Falls during November, National Adoption Month. This event highlights families finalizing their adoptions and is one of the happiest and most joyful day in the courtrooms of Great Falls.

“Helping make families is the most rewarding part of my law practice,” Crum stated. “I am humbled and honored to receive this award. Working with children and families in Cascade County and across Montana has been one of the greatest joys of my career.”

Crum played a crucial role in founding the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program in Cascade County and served the program in various roles for several years. CASA volunteers ensure cases involving abused and neglected children caught up in the foster care system do not stall in the courts and advocate for the well-being of children during the process.

Crum was honored at the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s annual gala in Washington D.C.

As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Tester fought proposals that cut funding for CASA and secured $12 million for the program in the FY 2018 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill.

In 2017, Tester authored a provision in the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill that increased access to adoption services for disabled veterans.

Read more about Tester’s work on behalf of Montana’s kids HERE.