PRESS RELEASE: C.A.S.E. Launches Office of Engagement + Advancement to Support Continued Growth as a National Leader

Written by C.A.S.E.

Published on: Jun 15, 2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

C.A.S.E. Launches Office of Engagement + Advancement to Support Continued Growth as a National Leader
Our new organizational structure aligns philanthropy, communications, partnerships, advocacy, and engagement efforts to advance mission impact and long-term sustainability.

BURTONSVILLE, Md. — The Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) has announced the launch of a new Office of Engagement + Advancement, a strategic initiative designed to strengthen the organization’s ability to grow its impact, expand its national influence, and ensure the long-term sustainability of its mission.

The creation of the Office of Engagement + Advancement comes at a pivotal moment in C.A.S.E.’s evolution. Since its founding in 1998, the organization has grown from a regional service provider into a nationally recognized leader in adoption-competent mental health services. To date, C.A.S.E. has served more than 9,000 children and families throughout the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia region, trained more than 80,000 child welfare and mental health professionals nationwide, and established formal partnerships in more than 40 states.

As the organization’s reach and influence have expanded, so too has the need for a more integrated approach to relationship-building, philanthropy, communications, partnerships, advocacy, and external engagement.

Over the past several years, C.A.S.E. has experienced remarkable growth, not only in the number of children, families, and professionals we serve, but also in our role as a national voice for adoption-competent mental health services. As we look to the future, it became clear that the functions responsible for building relationships, telling our story, advancing philanthropy, cultivating partnerships, and elevating our influence are deeply interconnected. The Office of Engagement + Advancement reflects our commitment to aligning these efforts under a shared strategy that will strengthen both our impact and our sustainability for years to come.

Debbie Riley, LCMFT C.A.S.E. CEO

The newly established Office of Engagement + Advancement will serve as the strategic hub for how C.A.S.E. builds relationships, advances philanthropic investment, communicates impact, strengthens partnerships, supports advocacy efforts, and engages stakeholders across the country. By bringing these functions together under a unified strategy, the organization aims to deepen engagement, increase visibility, strengthen philanthropic support, and further advance its leadership role in the field.

As part of this transition, Hilary Tone Forslund has been appointed Chief Engagement + Advancement Officer (CEAO) and will lead the new office.

Forslund joined C.A.S.E. as Chief Marketing Officer in 2024 and brings nearly two decades of experience in strategic communications, marketing, stakeholder engagement, brand development, and organizational leadership. During her tenure at C.A.S.E., Forslund has helped guide the organization’s evolution into a more visible, connected, and influential national brand. Her leadership has strengthened audience engagement, elevated thought leadership, expanded awareness of adoption competence, supported revenue growth across multiple program areas, and fostered greater alignment across teams in service of C.A.S.E.’s mission and long-term strategic goals.

I am honored to step into this role and grateful for the confidence Debbie, our Board of Directors, and my colleagues have placed in me. The launch of the Office of Engagement + Advancement reflects a bold vision for C.A.S.E.’s future—one that recognizes that relationships, philanthropy, communications, partnerships, and advocacy are all essential to advancing our mission. I am excited to work alongside our talented team to build upon C.A.S.E.’s incredible momentum and ensure we have the visibility, resources, and relationships necessary to sustain and expand our impact.

Hilary Tone Forslund Chief Engagement + Advancement Officer

Rick Powell, Chair of the C.A.S.E. Board of Directors, said the new structure reflects the organization’s commitment to thoughtful growth and long-term success.

As the Board looks toward C.A.S.E.’s future, we recognize the importance of investing not only in programs and services, but also in the organizational infrastructure that makes sustained impact possible. The Office of Engagement + Advancement positions C.A.S.E. to strengthen relationships, diversify support, expand its national influence, and continue leading the field in innovative ways. This is an important step in ensuring the organization’s long-term success and sustainability.

Rick Powell C.A.S.E. Board of Directors Board Chair, Founder and CEO, Production Management Group (PMG)

The launch of the Office of Engagement + Advancement supports C.A.S.E.’s broader strategic vision to advance permanence and well-being for individuals, children, and families connected to adoption, foster, and kinship care. Through three key focus areas—Direct Services, Training + Education, and Systems Change—C.A.S.E. continues to expand its impact both locally and nationally while advancing adoption competence across systems and communities so that all those impacted by adoption, foster, and kinship care can thrive.

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For Media Inquiries:
marketing@adoptionsupport.org

About C.A.S.E.

The Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) is a national leader in mental health, ensuring the well-being and permanence of children, families, and individuals connected to adoption, foster, and kinship care. We work across every level of the permanence ecosystem—delivering direct services, training professionals, and driving systems change—to ensure families stay together and thrive. Our approach is rooted in Adoption Competence: a deep understanding of the unique experiences shaped by loss, identity, trauma, belonging, and more. Founded by families in this community, C.A.S.E. has been advancing this mission since 1998. We believe every child deserves lasting connection, and every family deserves the support to make it possible.

PRESS RELEASE: C.A.S.E. Launches Office of Engagement + Advancement to Support Continued Growth as a National Leader