Our 11th annual Adoption Day: 10 kids adopted by 7 families

Every November for the past 11 years, HCJFS has held a special ceremony for National Adoption Month where we finalize a lot of adoptions in one morning. We hope it – and all the media attention to it – help remind people that we do always have more than 300 kids still waiting for families.

Indonesia is 16 – the oldest of the kids adopted today. We always celebrate when a teenager finds her forever family. There are so many teens in foster care who really want a real home.

Our youngest today was Liam Sheldon, 15 months. He was adopted by James and Kelly Sheldon, who have been his foster parents since he was six months old.

And check out the Cress girls – Aubrey, Autumn and August. In matching dresses, they officially were finalized with kindergarten teacher and single mom Amanda Cress.

“These are children who have had difficult lives, but Friday marks the start of a wonderful new journey,” said Moira Weir, director of the county’s Job and Family Services department. “While they will have loved and known their adoptive parents for some time, Friday is the day it becomes official.”

Judge Ralph Winkler of the Hamilton County Probate Court does a great job with the families. His extremely dry delivery sometimes masks his sense of humor. He tells the families how much he appreciates the fact that they’ve stepped up to serve their community in this way.