National Adoption Day 2013 - November 8 @ 2:00 pm
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<![endif]> Washington State Courts Washington State Department of Social & Health ServicesFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FROM: Lorrie Thompson, Communications Officer
Administrative Office of the Courts
OCTOBER 31, 2013 (360) 705-5347
National Adoption Day 2013:
Cowlitz families celebrate new beginnings with adoptions
Five local children will end their foster days on Nov. 8 when they are adopted into new families during Cowlitz County’s celebration of National Adoption Day, which the public is welcome to attend.
The event begins at 2 p.m. at the Cowlitz County Administration Building, 207 4th Ave. in Kelso. Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Gary Bashor will open the ceremony and preside over the adoptions for a unique view into what are usually closed-court proceedings. On National Adoption Day, adopting parents agree to open hearings to the media and public in order to raise awareness of the many foster children waiting to join new families.
Currently, more than 9,300 Washington children live in foster care and more than 1,650 are available to be adopted.
“Sometimes in our busy lives, we take our family for granted,” Judge Bashor said. “These kids just want a normal family, like all of their friends and classmates. This event celebrates what the court and our partners do all year long – we are trying to give the kids that sense of family and opportunity.”
The Cowlitz County celebration will include adoptions as families are called seperately for their proceedings, refreshments, speakers, an opportunity for any adopted children to speak their feelings about adoptions, and a special musical guest. The celebration is a community event organized by local adoption workers, court officials, businesses, adoptive families and other volunteers, with refreshments and gifts for the children donated by participants.
National Adoption Day was founded in 2000 by a handful of courts, child welfare agencies and businesses to raise awareness of the thousands of foster children awaiting adoption. Washington’s statewide celebration was launched in 2005 by the state Supreme Court Commission on Children in Foster Care and is co-sponsored by the DSHS Division of Children and Family Services, the Superior Court Judges’ Association, the Administrative Office of the Courts and the WARM 106.9 Teddy Bear Patrol.
CONTACT: Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge Gary Bashor, (360) 577-3085; Jeanmarie Moore, (360) 442-9605.
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