Middlesex Co. celebrates National Adoption Day
17 families make adoption official at court house
BY ZACH LEVINE Correspondent
Twenty children and one adult found permanent homes with 17 families on Nov. 13 during adoption proceedings at the Middlesex County Courthouse. The event took place in collaboration with National Adoption Day, which is observed in all 50 states.

After a brief morning press conference, each individual adoption was held in private before New Jersey Superior Court Judge Robert P. Figarotta.

"I think that it is very important for kids to have a home," said Marilou Heim, the adoptions support supervisor for the state Division of Youth & Family Services (DYFS). "Family is the cornerstone of society, and our goal is to create and mend."

After each family finished their appearance in court, they received a large plaque with a gift bag, flowers and balloons. Each family had many members arrive in court with them for the announcement of their new children.

"The families have six months of supervision before we give them consent for adoption," Kate Bernyk of DYFS said. "Usually the entire process takes a year, and it is the outside family itself who adopts the child."

About 1,400 children were adopted in New Jersey last year. Several members of DYFS said that this year they expect to reach or exceed that number.

"We think this is a very important process," said a father of two adopted children, who wished to remain anonymous. "Adoption is an important part of society, and we are happy to be doing our part."

The mother, who also asked for anonymity, stressed as well how important the process was.

"Adoption is a very long and hard process," she said, "but it should be. We went through foster care and feel it was the best way to have children, especially since we already have an adopted daughter and showed her the process."

Despite the joy of seeing new families created at the adoption ceremonies, DYFS officials stressed that there were still 129,000 children currently in foster care who need homes and families.

"Family is the foundation of society," said Fred Brown of the Western Middlesex DYFS office. "The thing is, children are usually without fault in these situations. It's beautiful in these situations to see people who are unselfish and willing to open their families for those who need them."