Because I work at a Fost/Adopt agency, I was able to help out at the Alameda County Adoption Day on November 15th. This is a day that they set aside once a year for any adoptions that were done through the county in the fall. So although adoptions are happening year round, some families wait to complete their adoption until this day.
This year 46 adoptions were finalized during adoption day. The county offices and all the private adoption agencies got together and decorated the court rooms and hall ways. They set out pictures, blew up hundreds of ballons, made lots and lots of food, had a reading room, craft room, play room, and photo studio for free family pictures (that's where I helped). Families came in with tons of extended family members to celebrate the occassion. The families were amazing - obviously loving their children and so happy that they have now completed their adoption. It was great. One single mom adopted her 8th child - a happy family of teenagers that take care of each other and are so thankful to have a happy home with a mom and loving siblings.
It was a wonderful time and made me really appreciate humans :). Sometimes it's easy to see how selfish we as humans are and how we so easily become busy doing what we need to do in life. We so easily become negative about the human race - however we really do have good in all us! That day I was able to see these families who have adopted children from the foster care system and these families that were created.
I walked away smiling.
2 comments:
Wow Beth, Adoption Day sounds like it was an amazing event. Glad you could take part in that and share your stories, too. (I had never heard of Adoption Day until reading it).
I just want to say thank you for all the work you put into that event. My husband and I were one of those families at that adoption day. We adopted our daughter that day. Like you said, we had our whole family there to welcome her. We had 24 people pose in the picture you helped with(some had already left by the time we had taken the picture). The picture has been in a frame on our wall since and we cherish it everyday. Our daughter is the best thing that has happened to us and we look forward to adopting another child soon. Thanks again for helping make that day so special for us.
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