DAYTON — Seven children officially joined their adoptive families in Montgomery County on National Adoption Day, marking a significant moment for the families involved.
The adoption proceedings at the Montgomery County Probate Court finalized the legal status of these families, who have been together for months. This event highlights the ongoing need for adoptive families in the county, where 100 children are currently waiting for adoption.
“It takes a village to really get this stuff done,” said one participant at the adoption event, emphasizing the community effort involved in the adoption process.
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Kelly Paull was among those finalizing adoptions, officially adopting her son, Jackson, whom she had cared for since he was two weeks old. “We’ve been waiting for this day for almost two and a half years. So very, very happy,” Paull expressed outside the courtroom.
Paull, who has now completed her third adoption, shared her joy in expanding her family and emphasized the rewarding nature of the adoption process. “It just feels so great to help a child, and so if we can bring them in and make sure that they’re happy and safe, that’s really all that we care about,” she said.
Montgomery County Commissioner Mary McDonald, who adopted a child 42 years ago, spoke on the importance of foster care and adoption. “Our goal is to reunify these children with family, but if not with adoptive families,”
McDonald stated, highlighting the county’s efforts to find permanent homes for children in foster care.McDonald encouraged potential foster parents to consider the life-changing impact of adoption, noting, “There are no perfect families. Come together, fill out the application, go through that process, but be open to bringing that loving child into your home.”
With 700 children in the foster care system in Montgomery County, events like National Adoption Day serve as a reminder of the ongoing need for adoptive families. As Kelly Paull noted, “It’s totally worth it.
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