The county’s Child and Family Well-Being Department (CFWB) recently held its annual Adoption Day celebration at the Juvenile Courthouse, marking National Adoption Month.
Each November, dozens of children and their new parents celebrate officially becoming a family, with 31 families finalizing the adoption of 36 children this year, the county announced.
One of those families is Raymond and Ricciee Soriano, who adopted three-year-old Parker.
“I couldn’t sleep last night…This overwhelming feeling of oh my god this is really it,” Raymond said.
The Sorianos began fostering Parker when he was just four months old and were overjoyed to officially welcome him into their family.
“When we were signing our paperwork and saw his name, what his new name is going to be, that’s when it just was oh my gosh, this is really happening…he’s finally ours,” Ricciee said.
The CWFB has only been operating for one year, after the First 5 Commission and Child Welfare Services merged into one department.
In its first year, the department reduced the number of children in foster care by nearly 12%. For children placed into foster care, 44% found a home with relatives, a 10% increase over the previous year, according to the county.
The department continues to collaborate with community members and experts to identify the best ways to support families, the county said. Current initiatives include the development of a Community Response Guide and ongoing efforts tied to the Child Care Blueprint.
Information about becoming a resource parent is available at SDCares4kids.com.
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