Families Celebrate Children’s Adoptions During National Adoption Month
Every person deserves a family. That’s what helps us all to feel needed, wanted, supported and loved. When the courts make the difficult decision to terminate a parent’s rights for a child’s safety and wellbeing, it leaves the child in need of a family. Adoptive families provide a safe and nurturing home for children who cannot safely return to their birth families. Over the course of National Adoption Month in November, KVC Kansas helped facilitate more than 100 children’s adoptions through the state in partnership with the Kansas Department for Children and Families.
National Adoption Day celebrations took place in Iola, Kansas City, Topeka, and Olathe, Kansas. We’re very thankful for the media outlets who came out to cover these events and spread awareness of the need for loving forever families. Check out some of the amazing stories covered below.
Recent Media Coverage
Fox4KC: Dozens of kids adopted ahead of National Adoption Day but hundreds are still waiting
Dozens of youth celebrated their adoptions in Kansas City, Kansas on November 16. One teen, Nevaeh, was adopted by her stepfather David Espinoza. “It’s wonderful, perfect,” Espinoza said. “This is a happy ending right now. To a new beginning.”
WBIW 13: Dozens of children find forever homes on National Adoption Day
On National Adoption Day (November 17) at the Shawnee County Courthouse in Topeka, 35 youth celebrated their adoptions. Tyson Marsh dressed up in his Superman costume as he became an official member of the Marsh family. “We’ve decided to wear shirts that say ‘Superman was adopted too,’ because Ty is our Superman,” said Nathan Marsh, Tyson’s father.
KSNT: Hundreds to find forever homes on National Adoption Day
The Kansas Department for Children and Families worked with KVC Kansas to double the number of finalized adoptions this year. DCF Secretary Gina Meier-Hummel said, “Adoption is such an important part to children in care. Many of them have spent years in care and it’s just important for them to be able to find a forever family and to be able to celebrate being adopted and becoming a part of another family,”
Twenty-two children’s adoptions were celebrated in the Johnson County Courthouse in Olathe on National Adoption Day. “Welcome to the very best hearing I get to have in this courtroom,” Johnson County District Court Judge Kathleen Sloan said. “Welcome to the very best hearing that any judge gets to have in this entire courthouse.”
Iola Register: Fostering Hope for the Future
In Iola, 16 children were adopted on November 16 in the Allen County Courthouse. Bryan and Laurel Hall celebrated the adoption of Christopher. Over the past nine years, they’ve fostered more than 90 kids and have eight biological children. Laurel joked, “We’re the Brady Bunch.”
KVC’s adoption work is done in partnership with the Kansas Department for Children and Families and Adopt KS Kids.
Each year, KVC Kansas facilitates more than 350 children’s adoptions and has facilitated more than 4,454 total. There are many more children who need permanent homes. Currently, in Kansas, there are close to 500 children and teens who need loving forever families.
Visit our adoption website to meet the children in need of an adoptive family.
