National Adoption Celebration a Success

On November 22, an unprecedented number of courts opened their doors to finalize adoptions of children from foster care on the fourth annual National Adoption Day celebration. More than 3,100 foster children were adopted in National Adoption Day events in over 120 communities nationwide.

Coast-to-coast festivities began in New York City, where Casey Family Services Executive Director Raymond Torres and actor Bruce Willis assisted in several adoption ceremonies at the Queens Family Court. Willis is the National Spokesperson for Children in Foster Care, appointed by President George W. Bush.

At a press conference that morning, Willis spoke about the need to educate the public on what they can do to help young people available for adoption. He told a standing room only crowd, "I am here today to thank the dedicated people who are adopting children…and to let others know about the thousands of children still waiting for permanent families."

Torres and Willis appeared in national news stories airing throughout the day on the CBS, CNN, NBC and Telemundo television networks. "I began my career at the Queens Family Courthouse, as a social work intern for Legal Aid," says Torres. "It was exciting to be back here on such an important and happy occasion, and to be able to help build awareness of the needs of foster youth - especially older children and minorities who are overrepresented in the nation's foster care system."

Celebrities, political officials and sports figures lent their support to National Adoption Day events across the country. In Washington, D.C., Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton and screenwriter Antwone Fisher, himself a former foster child, spoke to the fifty families who adopted foster children that day. Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack and Senator Chuck Grassley held a press conference at the Des Moines courthouse, where 30 adoptions were finalized. Dan Wilson, an adoptive parent and catcher for the Seattle Mariners, shared his personal story at the Washington celebration. In Los Angeles, actors Rhea Perlman and Henry Winkler participated in several of the 250 adoption ceremonies held throughout the day.

For Torres and Casey Family Services, National Adoption Day concluded a month-long multi-media campaign, focusing on the need for more adoptive families and post-adoption services. "We know the adoption process doesn't end at the courthouse, when the papers are signed," says Torres. "That is the beginning of the journey for the adopted child and his or her new family. At Casey Family Services, we believe that every adoptive family needs ongoing support services to grow and thrive." Torres was featured in newspaper, television, radio and Hispanic news stories throughout November, National Adoption Month, reaching an audience of more than 45 million.

The message that foster children need permanent, loving homes has also reached legislators at the highest level in this country. On December 2nd, President Bush signed into law the Adoption Promotion Act of 2003, extending adoption incentives to states for another five years and focusing greater attention on finding adoptive families for older children in foster care.

"This act of Congress strongly affirms our national commitment to adoption and will encourage adoption in every part of our land," the President remarked at the signing. For fiscal year 2004, the bill authorizes $43 million in performance-based incentives to states successful in increasing the number of children adopted from foster care.