Dozens of children walked into Clark County Family Court Wednesday morning as foster kids. But when they left in the afternoon, those same children had new adoptive parents and permanent homes.
In our overcrowded, under funded foster care system, recent headlines have been anything but positive. But not today, today was all about new beginnings and happy endings to stories that all too often start with tragic tales.
Signs of celebration could be seen throughout the halls of the family courthouse. While workers prepared for a party downstairs, upstairs dozens of families eagerly awaited the judge's words to seal the deal on their long-awaited adoptions.
The 5th Annual National Adoption Day was highlighted in Clark County with the finalizing of 27 adoptions and providing 38 children with new parents and permanent homes.
Among those adopted were seven sibling groups, which adoption supervisor Gracie Burton says are among the most difficult foster children to find permanent homes for. "We need to keep our siblings together. The relationship with their parents has already been severed so it's important to have someone in their life they can relate to."
For little Jonathan Maynard, who has lived with his foster parents since he was five weeks old, it is the only family he's ever known, and now it's forever.
Leanne Maynard, adoptive parent, said, "It was two minutes after seventeen months of waiting. It's wonderful, great, worth it all. I'm just so happy."
Again, 38 children were legally adopted during Wednesday's annual event. But as there are more than 200 others still in the Clark County foster care system that are still available and waiting to be adopted into a permanent family of their own.
Email your comments to Reporter Alyson McCarthy at amccarthy@klastv.com
Leanne Maynard, adoptive parent, said, "It was two minutes after seventeen months of waiting. It's wonderful, great, worth it all. I'm just so happy."
For little Jonathan Maynard, who has lived with his foster parents since he was five weeks old, it is the only family he's ever known, and now it's forever.
