Thirty-One Children Found “Forever Families” at 19th Annual Austin Adoption Day

Judge Darlene Byrne spoke at a virtual press conference at the conclusion of Austin Adoption Day.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 19 th Annual Austin Adoption Day was held virtually on Thurs., Nov. 5, 2020. Instead of the typical Wizard of Oz themed celebration traditionally held at the Gardner Betts Juvenile Justice Center, the “forever families” were created this year via Zoom. Twenty-four families, from the safety of their own homes, were connected to Travis County judges who performed their adoptions remotely. Thirty-one children who had been in foster care due to abuse or neglect become permanent members of a new family on the virtual day of celebration.

In keeping with tradition, the virtual event retained its “No Place Like Home” feel with Wizard of Oz characters joining the judges on their benches, and balloons and gifts donated by generous sponsors being delivered to each family’s home. According to Holly Benningfield, Region 7 Adoption Program Director and Post-Adoption Liaison for the Department of Family and Protective Services, “These families will realize their goal of adoption, while enjoying a day filled with love, hope, some tears, and many smiles. It is a day to celebrate these children and families while also creating an awareness of hundreds of children still waiting to find their forever homes in the Region 7 (Central Texas) area.”

Austin Adoption Day is sponsored by the Austin Bar Foundation along with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, Gardner-Betts Juvenile Justice Center, CASA of Travis County, Partnerships for Children, the Travis County Children’s Protective Services Board, and the Travis County Office of Child Representation.

November is National Adoption Month, and Austin Adoption Day is part of the nationwide effort to celebrate families that are welcoming new members from foster care and to draw attention to the continuing need for foster and adoptive homes. In Texas, 16,475 children were removed from their homes this year due to abuse or neglect with 665 of those residing in Travis County. There are more than 2,900 children in Texas and 55 in Travis County currently waiting to be adopted. It doesn’t take special qualifications to raise a child—it takes love and commitment. Visit adoptchildren.org or heartgallerytexas.com to learn more about adoption. AL