Smiles, Hugs And Happy Tears As 50 Children Are Adopted In Tarrant County
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - More than 50 children joined new families Friday, Nov. 19 during the 20th Tarrant County National Adoption Day celebration.
While a courthouse isn't often a place filled with smiles, that was all you saw on faces filling two floors of the Tarrant County Family Law Center, and the tears were happy ones.
Set up on the weekend before Thanksgiving, the day is meant to draw awareness to the need for child advocates, foster parents and adoptive families.
More than 1,200 children have been adopted during the event over the last 20 years.
Jennifer Jones had waited two years for a judge to approve the adoption of her 8-year-old son Chandler. He was one of her first foster cases after she became a volunteer.
"He just fits," she said after the adoption was granted to applause Friday. "He gets everybody, he understands the family. He feels like he's supposed to be with us."
Shaula and Paul Shaffer had intended to add one child to their family.
But as a dyslexia specialist at Norwood Elementary School in Burleson, she met Ashley and Jonathan, who were in foster care.
"And I came home and I said, 'Well there's this little group of kids that I know," Shaula said she told her husband.
"And I said, how many?" Paul responded.
Jonathan said Friday the best part of having a teacher for a mom is he gets to see her every day while he's at school.
As North Texas grows, the need for volunteers grows, said Natalie Stalmach with CASA of Tarrant County.
There is especially a need for men to volunteer as advocates, as well as people of color.
No special skills are needed, and training is provided regularly. Interested volunteers can click here for more information.
