Bangor lawyer Carolyn Adams has been selected to receive the annual Guardian Ad Litem Award from Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine.

Guardian ad litems act as the eyes and ears of a court, reporting directly to judges on behalf of children or incapacitated adults.

“Those GALs who are most actively involved in all aspects of the case promote the best outcomes for children and their adoptive, foster, kinship or biological families, said Barbara Ford, AFFM president. “Carolyn’s commitment to her responsibilities as a GAL was outstanding.” Adams is the second recipient of the award. Last year’s recipient was attorney Wayne Doane.

Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine is a nonprofit organization providing education, training, support, legislation advocacy and other collaborative efforts on behalf of the families and children in their care. Those interested in volunteering should call 800-833-9786.

Penobscot County Bar Association president April Bentley said, “We join with Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine in recognizing Caroline’s assets as a guardian ad litem. We are so proud a member of our bar association has been selected for this award. It points to the level of commitment many of our bar members have for improving the quality of life and access to justice for the vulnerable, the poor and the underrepresented.” Adams is a member of the Penobscot County Bar Association and on its board of directors.

In addition to her work as a guardian ad litem and volunteer efforts for the Penobscot Bar Association, Adams is on the board directors for the Shaw House, the nonprofit organization that assists homeless youth. She has served as a tribal prosecutor for the Penobscot Nation since 2002.

Before attending law school, Adams was a child protective caseworker for the state Department of Health and Human Services. She graduated from Bangor High School in 1982 and earned received a bachelor’s degree from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles in 1992, and a law degree from the University of Maine Law School in 1998.