The New Brunswick Adoption Foundation is delighted to announce Zoe Bourgeois, BA, BSW, MSW, as the recipient of the prestigious 2025 Erminie Cohen Compassion Award. The Honourable Louise Imbeault, OC, ONB, Lieutenant Governor and Honourary Patron of the New Brunswick Adoption Foundation, will host the Award Ceremony at Government House in Fredericton on June 5, 2025, at 2 p.m.

This annual award, named in memory of the late Erminie Joy Cohen, C.M., O.N.B., founding Chairperson of the foundation, honours individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the welfare and well-being of children, youth, and families in New Brunswick. Recipients are also chosen based on how they inspire others and serve as catalysts and mentors in the community. 

Zoe Bourgeois has demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to advocacy for over 17 years with the New Brunswick Adoption Foundation as well as many other organizations. Having entered the care system at just 18 months old and being adopted at 15, Zoe has turned her journey into fierce compassion for those navigating similar challenges.

Zoe’s dedication to the New Brunswick Adoption Foundation is profound. She served as our first youth spokesperson in 2007 and has been our longest-serving volunteer. She was an invaluable member of the board of directors for several years, playing a key role in effecting transformative changes within the organization and enhancing our mission for children and youth.

Her commitment extends beyond the Foundation. Zoe served as the Program Coordinator for the New Brunswick Youth in Care Network (NBYICN) for five years. She also worked as a Child Protection Social Worker and a Social Worker at Partners for Youth, contributing to their Rent Bank program to assist youth facing housing vulnerability. In her current role as Family Group Conferencing Coordinator with the Department of Social Development, Zoe draws from her lived experience as a youth, coupled with her skills as a professional social worker, to compassionately support vulnerable children and families. 

Her extensive experience on various Boards of Directors in New Brunswick and nationally as a volunteer further underscores her dedication to the youth in care community. Zoe has recently been named the Chair of the Board of the National Council of Youth in Care Advocates(NCYICA).

Zoe's impactful advocacy has been formally recognized as a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal. This recognition highlights her extraordinary communication skills, leadership, and unwavering dedication as an advocate for vulnerable children and youth leaving the care system.

Through sharing her own adoption story and offering advice to prospective adoptive parents, particularly those considering adopting teenagers, Zoe embodies the spirit of the Erminie Cohen Compassion Award. She emphasizes the importance of understanding trauma, using humor, focusing on strengths, being a strong advocate, and creating a supportive and validating environment.

Zoe lives outside of Fredericton with her fiancé and their three well-loved children.

The New Brunswick Adoption Foundation is honoured to recognize Zoe Bourgeois as the recipient of the 2025 Erminie Cohen Compassion Award and invite you to join us at the Award Ceremony to celebrate her achievements and support the important work of the foundation. 

Find out more about

• Navigating Teen Adoption: An Adoption Love Story (video)

• The Erminie Cohen Compassion Award

• Previous recipients

• Attending the Ceremony

• Making a donation

The vision of the New Brunswick Adoption Foundation is that every child or youth in the permanent care of the Province finds a permanent family. 

To find out more about the work and activities of the New Brunswick Adoption Foundation,  visit our website: www.nbadoption.ca