Families across Kansas will finalize their adoption of a child, teenager or sibling group from foster care either on or near National Adoption Day, November 18. Following tradition, many judges open their courthouse on the Saturday before Thanksgiving to complete adoptions and bring smiles to the faces of children and adults alike. In total this November, nonprofit KVC Kansas is helping to facilitate the adoptions of more than 70 children in the Kansas City area, Topeka and other parts of eastern Kansas.

In Kansas, there are approximately 450 children who need adoptive families. Children available across the state can be viewed online at www.adoptkskids.org, and children served by KVC Kansas can be viewed at http://adoption.kvc.org. The profiles include photos, bios and, in some cases, videos.

One recent adoption is truly inspiring. 11-year-old Sierra was adopted by her foster parents after experiencing neglect by her mother and stepfather who used and sold drugs. After caring for herself and her siblings, Sierra went to live with foster parents Kelly and Rick Patterson. Over time, Sierra began to open up and feel comfortable in the Pattersons’ home and the couple was able to adopt her just two weeks ago.

Watch her story:

Read more about Sierra’s journey

KVC Kansas is a private, nonprofit organization that provides child welfare services for the Kansas Department for Children and Families’ (DCF) Kansas City metro and Eastern regions, providing case management, foster care, adoption, family preservation and aftercare services to more than 50% of all children and families in the Kansas child welfare system. KVC Health Systems, a nonprofit child welfare and behavioral healthcare organization headquartered in Olathe, is the parent organization to KVC Kansas. Since 2005, the organization has matched more than 4,000 children nationwide with adoptive families.

“One of the best days of the year is National Adoption Day,” said Danielle Bartelli, President of KVC Kansas. “We are so thankful for the people who decide to become forever families for children and teens in need. A special thanks is due to the judges throughout Kansas who bring attention to the need for more adoptive families.”

Media representatives are invited to observe adoption finalizations and interview adoptive families in:

KANSAS CITY – 10:00 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 17
Wyandotte County Courthouse (710 N. 7th St. Trfy).
Approximately 6 children’s adoptions will be finalized.

TOPEKA – 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18
Shawnee County Courthouse (200 SE 7th St.)
This event will include a press conference for media including Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer (schedule-permitting) and balloon release for families.
Approximately 20 children’s adoptions will be finalized.

OLATHE – 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18
Johnson County Courthouse (100 N. Kansas Ave.)
Approximately 12 children’s adoptions will be finalized.

IOLA – 11 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 17
Allen County Courthouse (1 N Washington Ave, Iola, KS 66749)
Approximately 9 children’s adoptions will be finalized.

Currently there are:

• More than 7,000 children in foster care. Click here to learn how to become a foster parent!
• Appx. 450 children waiting to be adopted, up from 100 children from last year. Many of these children are eight years and older, members of a sibling group, and/or have special needs. Click here to learn more about adoption!

About KVC Kansas

KVC Kansas is a private, nonprofit child welfare and behavioral healthcare organization. As the contractor for the Kansas Department for Children and Families’ (DCF) Eastern regions, KVC serves more than half of all children and families in the Kansas child welfare system. Services include case management, foster care, adoption, family preservation and aftercare. KVC has the nation’s longest track record of providing foster care case management among all private organizations. In its 47-year history, KVC has grown from a single home for boys in Kansas City, Kansas to a national organization touching the lives of more than 60,000 people each year. Learn more at www.kvckansas.org.