Kids & Family

12 New Families Forged on National Adoption Day

Court Appointed Special Advocates of Morris and Sussex counties honored as part of 'Adoption Day' celebration.

A dozen families have something extra special to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Court Appointed Special Advocates of Morris and Sussex counties (CASA) celebrated the adoption of 12 children on Friday as part of National Adoption Day. The event, which was held at the Morris County Administration and Records Building, honored families who have adopted children in the past year.

Judge Maritza Berdote Byrne presided over the adoptions and said National Adoption Day is a “joyous” one in the courthouse and emphasized that it takes many dedicated individuals to create a successful adoption. In addition to caseworkers, attorneys and law guardians, she specifically recognized CASA volunteers as playing an integral role in the process.

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“I consider them angels walking among the rest of us here on Earth,” Byrne said. “Their unbiased observations are invaluable in helping the court come to a determination.”

The majority of the children adopted that day have a CASA volunteer associated with their case. CASA of Morris and Sussex Counties trains volunteers from the community to “speak up” for vulnerable children in the court and child welfare systems, making sure they are safe and well-cared for, are receiving the services they need, and are placed in permanent, safe, nurturing homes as quickly as possible.

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Adoptive father’s like Amadeus Santos had high praise for volunteers like Beth Weiss.

“She was extremely helpful in guiding us in the right direction with case questions and with the process,” Santos said.

Following the dozen adoption proceedings, families were invited to stay and participate in Adoption Day festivities that included refreshments, arts and crafts activities for the children and “Tweedles” the clown.

National Adoption Day is a national effort to raise awareness of the more than 100,000 children in foster care waiting for permanent, loving families. According to Weiss, a CASA volunteer since 2006, National Adoption Day is an event that validates their dedication to ensuring that all children in the foster care system find a forever family.

“When you come into a situation where there is a broken family and a child with an uncertain future, it is inspiring to watch so many professionals play a part in building a new family together,” Weiss said. “As a CASA, I love helping facilitate the relationship between the professionals and the foster parents and seeing a new healthy and happy family emerge in the end.”

The event was sponsored by CASA, the Morris/Sussex Vicinage, the New Jersey Department of Children and Families, and the Morris and Sussex County Bar Associations.

“As both an adoptive parent and a representative of the CASA organization, Adoption Day is always an emotional and invigorating day for me,” said Dr. Lisa Firkser, CASA Executive Director. “It is wonderful to see families that were formed out of a passion to protect, care for and love a child.”

Visit www.casamsc.org or call 973-998-7590 for more information about CASA of Morris and Sussex Counties.


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