Each November, on National Adoption Day, CASA comes together with the rest of the child welfare community in Austin to celebrate new adoptive families. On November 9th, ten adoptions took place in emotional ceremonies.
Twin toddlers were adopted by a couple who had brought them home from the NICU at six weeks old, the adoptive father having aged out of the foster care system himself. A young boy was adopted by his grandmother, answering with a resounding “YES!” when asked if he was excited to go home with her. Amenities like Zoom, built into the recently completed courthouse, enabled both a teacher’s and her newly adopted child’s classrooms to witness their adoption ceremony. Courtrooms filled with stuffed animals, cake and balloons, and even themed costumes — CASA staff traditionally come dressed as Wizard of Oz characters — make it evident that today is a welcome bright spot in an often long and difficult journey for children.
At CASA, we celebrate adoption, knowing that it can be the safest and most stable choice for a child. But we are also aware that choice comes at a steep cost for a child and their biological family because it means giving up the hope of reunification. The bittersweet paradox of Adoption Day is that it’s both an ending and a beginning. But ultimately, it’s an occasion to celebrate every child who has found a safe, permanent, and loving home, and it spurs us on to help ensure that future for every child we serve.
