Adoption Celebration Held in Honor of National Adoption Month

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Saturday, hundreds of children in Mississippi have a forever family.

Many of these families came together to eat, have fun and socialize at a popular children’s establishment called Spinners.

Not only did they have a lot of fun, but they also came together to cherish the moments they now have with their new loved ones.

“Are you having fun today? “Yes, I’m having fun and I’m happy.”

The Vershonda family was just one of many celebrating the adoption.

They all wore unique shirts that read, “Family requires love, not DNA.”

“They are just a blessing. I have been fostering with CPS for many years. She is my very first. This ministry is to be a blessing to children,” one adoptive mother of four said at the event.

The event was dedicated to the theme “Celebration of Eternal Love.”

Children enjoy playing video games, ice skating and bowling.

MDCPS reports that many of the children in care today are victims of abuse and neglect.

“Today these are families who have opened their homes and their hearts to these children. Some of them are relatives, but some of them are people who just connected with them through our services and wanted to give them a permanent place,” said Kimberly Wheaton, MDCPS senior clinical specialist.

Some parents credit the popular WLBT segment “Wednesday’s Child,” which aired many years ago, as their motivation to adopt.

“We started trying to understand the process, and I watched Maggie Wade every Wednesday night on Children’s Wednesday. She was one of our inspirations for adoption,” said Sarah Skinner, who adopted through MDCPS.

Sarah Skinner says it hasn’t always been easy.

“There is a rollercoaster of emotions. There’s joy and sadness, but overall we’re really grateful for the process,” said Sarah Skinner, who adopted through MDCPS.

To date, 571 families have completed adoptions in FY 2024. MDCPS also tells us that over 4,000 children are currently in custody awaiting adoption.

“Children are our future and so they shouldn’t have to worry about where they’re going to live, who’s going to love them, who’s going to be their support system, so that’s one of the most important things you can do for yourself. baby,” Wheaton said.

MDCPS says if you want to adopt a child, it’s never too late. You can go to the MDCPS website to begin the process.

Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Click here subscribe to our newsletter.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please Click here communicate this and include the title of the article in your email.

Copyright WLBT 2024. All rights reserved.