Every year Saint Francis Ministries hosts National Adoption Day. Sedgwick County Judges (Judges Rick Macias, Greg Keith, and me) sign adoption orders one after another. Normally, the Child In Need of Care (CINC) dockets, where these cases start, are mostly depressing with abused and neglected children being at the center. Not on this day! This day we finalize adoptions for families who stepped up to care for these kids when they needed love and compassion the most. These are families in every sense of the word, and the sacrificial love shines through in the faces of the adoptive parents and their families and extended families who come with them for the ceremonies.
Thanks to Susan Peters of KSN who emceed the event. She does great work with her Susan’s Kids ministry. Indeed, during last week’s CINC docket in my court, I learned that her broadcast resulted in one of my kids getting two possible adoptive resources, which is truly amazing. Thank you Susan for all your efforts to help these kids.
But our work is far from done. I preached to many of the families of the need for more foster parents, CASA volunteers and mentors–preaching to the choir. Nonetheless, the need is great. Please email me if you have a church or civic group that needs to hear about the foster care crisis and what they can do to help, 4acelaw@gmail.com.
There’s one thing that I emphasized during these ceremonies that can’t be denied. Even though the system takes too long to achieve permanency for these kids, the ones adopted Saturday had no idea what their new parents had gone through. They’d been living with their forever homes for months if not years. They didn’t know how messed up the system is. They’ve been loved for a long time and that’s because their new parents stepped to (1) foster them, then (2) adopt them. You’re missing lots of love if you don’t step up too.
Blessings and Happy National Adoption Day!
Paid for by the Committee to re-elect Judge Kevin Mark Smith 