The 2026 Erminie Cohen Compassion Award Recipient is : ROXANNE KADSAN
The New Brunswick Adoption Foundation is proud to announce Roxanne Kasdan of NB Social Pediatrics as the recipient of the prestigious 2026 Erminie Cohen Compassion Award.
Named in memory of the late Erminie Joy Cohen, founding Chairperson of the New Brunswick Adoption Foundation, this annual award recognizes individuals whose compassion, dedication, and service create real and lasting change in the lives of children, youth, and families in New Brunswick.
The Honourable Louise Imbeault, OC, ONB, Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick and Honourary Patron of the New Brunswick Adoption Foundation, will host the Award Ceremony at Government House in Fredericton on June 9, 2026, at 11:30 a.m.
Family, friends, colleagues, and community members are warmly invited to attend as we honour Roxanne’s extraordinary contributions to children, youth, and families across New Brunswick.
A Registered Nurse with Horizon Health Network since 1987, Roxanne has devoted nearly four decades to improving the lives of children and families throughout the province. She spent 20 years on the General Pediatrics ward before moving into Developmental Pediatrics. Today, she serves as the Physician-Family Liaison at the NB Social Pediatrics Clinic, where she continues to support children and families navigating complex medical and social challenges.
Through its Community Social Pediatrics model, NB Social Pediatrics provides relationship-based, wraparound care for children and families facing adversity, poverty, toxic stress, and instability. At the POP Centre, care is built around each child’s strengths, needs, and goals, helping families navigate medical, emotional, developmental, and social challenges while building trust, stability, and connection.
According to her nomination, Roxanne is “the kind of person whose care is felt long before it is explained,” reflected in the optimistic way she greets every child, the time she gives to those around her, and the calm, steady presence she offers to children carrying more than they should ever have to carry alone.
Watch this short video to learn more about the Community Social Pediatrics model and the work being done at NB Social Pediatrics.
“Roxanne embodies the heart of social pediatrics. She meets children and families where they are,
builds trust through consistency and compassion, and helps create the safety and connection
every child deserves.”
Dr Sarah Gander, Clinical Lead & Pediatrician, NB Social Pediatrics
Roxanne’s compassion is deeply shaped by her own experience as an adoptee.
What makes Roxanne especially deserving of this award is that her compassion is not occasional. It is constant.
She stays late to make care accessible, follows up when circumstances are complicated, and remains steady in situations where it might be easier to step back. Her work is rooted in the belief that a child’s well-being is shaped not only by clinical care, but by trust, safety, and belonging.
For children whose lives have been marked by adversity, transition, and uncertainty, Roxanne becomes part of their corner.
She offers something deeply meaningful: consistency, reassurance, and the knowledge that they have a dependable adult who deeply cares and remains present, even when so much else changes.
Beyond her clinical work, Roxanne is also an exceptional mentor.
Throughout her career, she has mentored nurses, nursing students, physicians, medical students, and residents, demonstrating that excellent healthcare is strengthened by tenderness, humility, patience, and empathy.
Her colleagues describe her as someone who brings calm to complex situations, warmth to overwhelmed families, and unwavering advocacy for children who need stability, care, and hope.
Roxanne’s impact extends far beyond her daily responsibilities.
She is a tireless advocate for vulnerable children, ensuring they receive the care, support, and stability they need, no matter the obstacles.
As her nominator shared, Roxanne Kasdan leaves people better than she found them.
For vulnerable children and families across New Brunswick, that has meant comfort, stability, advocacy, and hope.
The New Brunswick Adoption Foundation is honoured to recognize Roxanne Kasdan as the recipient of the 2026 Erminie Cohen Compassion Award and invites you to join us at the Award Ceremony to celebrate her achievements and support the important work of the Foundation.