17th Judicial Circuit Court celebrates National Adoption Day

Staff Report

Saturday, Nov. 17, the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court observed its Ninth Annual National Adoption Day Celebration at the Winnebago County Criminal Justice Center. At this event, Judges Joseph G. McGraw, Janet R. Holmgren, Eugene G. Doherty and Mary Linn Green, along with Circuit Clerk Tom Klein, local social service agencies, and other court personnel volunteered their time to finalize 25 adoptions of children who had previously resided in foster care.

National Adoption Day is a collective national effort to raise awareness of the estimated 100,000 children in foster care who are ready for adoption and waiting for a family. On this day, members of the judiciary, attorneys and social service agency professionals from all across the United States work together to finalize adoptions and celebrate all of the families participating in adoptions. On National Adoption Day 2011, throughout all 50 states, a total of 4,800 children had their adoptions finalized. Over the last nine years on National Adoption Day, a total of 200 children have been adopted into permanent loving families in Winnebago County.

Chief Judge Joseph G. McGraw stated, “It is a great privilege to be able to play a role in creating permanent, loving homes for the children and families involved in National Adoption Day. Today is truly a day of celebration.” Judge Green commented, “This is a very special day for all of us who work with chidren and families in foster care. It gives us great joy to participate in the adoptions of these young people into their ‘forever’ homes with loving families to call their own.”

For more information about this event, contact Deputy Court Administrator Thomas R. Jakeway at (815) 319-4830 or tjakeway@wincoil.us.

From the Nov. 21-27, 2012, issue