QUEENS, NY - Four hundred newly adopted
children received teddy bears, hugs and the security of having
a family
to
call their own today in a courthouse filled with celebrities
and dignitaries alike, including Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye,
actor Bruce Willis, New York City Administration for Children’s
Services (ACS) Commissioner William C. Bell and State Office
of Children and Family Services (OCFS) Deputy Commissioner
Larry Brown, during New York’s celebration of National
Adoption Day. Over 200 volunteers—including judges,
lawyers, court staff and agency personnel—converged
on Queens Family Court to donate their time and specialized
skills to help make this happy event possible, achieving
a record number of adoptions completed in one day in New
York City.
New York has been a participant in National Adoption Day—designed
to highlight the joys of adoption and to encourage families
to adopt children in foster care—since its creation
four years ago and was chosen to host the national press
conference this year. As part of the celebration, over 600
adoptions will be completed among 34 counties participating
statewide, including the 400 finalized today at Queens Family
Court, which were consolidated from all five boroughs of
New York City.
New York has been leading the country with innovative and
successful programs to promote foster care adoptions, annually
completing about 5,000 of these adoptions throughout the
state. Last year, Chief Judge Kaye spearheaded an ambitious
initiative called “Adoption Now,” joining the
courts with OCFS, ACS and other local child welfare agencies
in a historic collaboration to break through logjams delaying
adoption finalization for thousands of children already legally
freed to be adopted. Always keeping the focus on children’s
safety, the Adoption Now committee identified systemic obstacles
to prompt adoptions, instituted permanent improvements to
the process, and is developing a multi-agency model of best
practices.
Chief Judge Kaye said, “Seeing the abundance of happiness
here today—from the smiles of youngsters who now are
legally recognized as official members of the families who
love them to the grandparents who look on with pride and
tears of joy—we feel even greater impetus to make this
happy outcome possible for the thousands of children in this
state who remain in foster care. With the Adoption Now initiative,
which forged a new partnership between the Family Court and
state and city child welfare agencies, we shone a bright,
unforgiving light on New York’s system for foster care
adoptions, to uncover defects and rectify flaws, so that
children—from whose vantage point, time is greatly
magnified—are not kept waiting for permanent homes
longer than is absolutely necessary to ensure safety. These
400 newly adopted children, tightly embraced by their grateful
families, are a living testament to the tremendous work that
has already been accomplished in New York and inspire us
to continue onward in our reform efforts. We, along with
120 communities across the country that are participating
in National Adoption Day, join with these families today
in celebrating the wonders and joys of adoption.”
At the press conference at Queens Family Court, Bruce Willis,
named National Spokesperson for Children in Foster Care by
President George W. Bush, spoke about the need to educate
the public on what they can do to help young people available
for adoption. “I participate in National Adoption Day
so I can personally thank the dedicated people who are adopting
children and to let others know how they can help the thousands
of young people in foster care still waiting for permanent
families,” Willis said.
“One of ACS’s guiding principles is to achieve
permanency for every child who is in our care,” said
ACS Commissioner William C. Bell. “Since our formation
in 1996, ACS has worked closely with the Family Court and
OCFS to finalize adoptions for more than 26,000 children
in foster care in New York City. Our successful efforts to
find permanent homes for these children would not be possible
without the ongoing support of organizations like the national
partners who are here with us on National Adoption Day. This
event is a wonderful opportunity to remind New Yorkers, as
well as the nation, that one of the greatest ways to make
a difference in the life of a child is to provide a loving
and supportive home.”
OCFS Commissioner John A. Johnson said, “Governor
George E. Pataki is committed to our state’s ongoing
efforts to find every child available for adoption a stable
and loving home, and it is clear we are making tremendous
headway in helping find permanency and security for thousands
of New York’s children. By working together—with
the courts, local departments of social services and community-based
providers—we can continue to help make life better
for all of New York’s children, so they can grow to
reach their full potential.”
Providing support for adoptive families, OCFS is administering
a special college assistance program for teens in foster
care, for which youths adopted after reaching the age of
16 are also eligible. The program makes available $5,000
a year for tuition and other assistance for college, post-secondary
education or vocational courses, providing financial aid
for both teens in foster care and those recently adopted
out of the system.
National Adoption Day brings together volunteer lawyers,
foster care professionals, child advocates and local judges
in one day to give children the loving families they deserve.
The annual event draws special attention to the 126,000 foster
children in the United States who are waiting to be adopted,
as well as celebrating all families who adopt. Since its
inception in 2000, National Adoption Day has grown from events
in nine jurisdictions now to include events in more than
120 communities from coast to coast. Sponsored by The Alliance
for Children’s Rights, Casey Family Services, Children’s
Action Network, Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute,
Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Freddie Mac Foundation
and Target Corporation, this year’s celebration on
Saturday, November 22, is expected to result in over 3,100
adoptions finalized nationwide.
The New York state court system received an overwhelming
number of donations to help stage the National Adoption Day
celebration from companies, individuals and agencies, as
well as from the national co-sponsors, OCFS and ACS. Of particular
note were generous book contributions from Random House and
Scholastic Corporation, which alone supplied over 10,000
books to be given to young courthouse visitors. |
