With the theme of “Giving Thanks for Families,” courts statewide will celebrate Adoption Day on Tuesday, Nov. 24. Held on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving each year, Adoption Day has become holiday tradition, highlighting the importance of adoption and the needs of children in foster care. Many courts will finalize adoptions while others will hold informational events to reach potential adoptive parents.
Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert P. Young Jr. said Michigan Adoption Day is aimed at raising awareness and encouraging potential adoptive and foster parents to step forward. Young noted that, while adoption finalization hearings are usually private, many participating courts will open their hearings to the public. “Adoption Day gives the public a window into the adoption process,” Young said. “This is a celebration of adoption, but our purpose is to educate the public about the rewards of being an adoptive parent. Every child deserves a loving, forever home.”
On Tuesday Nov. 24 at 10 a.m. in the Supreme Court courtroom in Lansing, Young and Justice Bridget M. McCormack will join Washtenaw Circuit Judge Timothy Connors and Tribal Judge Michael Petoskey in finalizing adoptions for families from Washtenaw County.
Justice Stephen J. Markman, Justice David F. Viviano, Justice Joan L. Larsen, and Court of Appeals Chief Judge Michael Talbot will also lend a hand as judges in more than 30 courtrooms around the state create forever homes for about 100 children:
• Justice Markman, Jackson County, Nov. 20, 9 a.m. (note different date), Jackson Co. Bldg. 312 S. Jackson St., Jackson,
• Justice Markman, Cass County, Nov. 24, 2 p.m., Cass County Courthouse, 60296 M-62, Cassopolis.
• Justice Viviano, Macomb County, Nov. 24, 9 a.m., Macomb County Courthouse, 40 N. Main St., Mt. Clemens.
• Justice Viviano, Wayne County, Nov. 24, 10:30, Coleman A. Young Municipal Ctr., 2 Woodward Ave., Detroit.
• Justice Larsen, Oakland County, Nov. 24, 9 a.m., 1200 N. Telegraph, Pontiac.
• Judge Talbot, Kalamazoo County, Nov. 24, 10 a.m. Kalamazoo County Courthouse, 1400 Gull Road, Kalamazoo.
Michigan Adoption Day is co-sponsored by the Michigan Supreme Court, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Child Welfare Services division of the State Court Administrative Office, and Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE).
“Michigan is committed to responding to the needs of adoptive families and understands the value in providing post-adoption services to families; post-adoption services are available statewide through eight resource centers” DHHS Director Nick Lyon said. “The state continues to make significant progress in finding forever homes for our state’s most vulnerable youth.”
Anyone interested in adopting a child may contact MARE at 3840 Packard Rd. in Ann Arbor. MARE can be also reached Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 800-589-6273 (in Michigan), via fax at (734) 528-1695, or through the MARE website, www.mare.org.
The ceremony in the Supreme Court courtroom on Nov. 24th will also include the presentation of the Daniel J. Wright Lifetime Achievement Award. Jointly sponsored by the Michigan Supreme Court and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the award was established in honor of the late Daniel J. Wright of Grand Ledge. As director of the Friend of the Court Bureau and Child Welfare Services divisions of the State Court Administrative Office, Wright helped create the state’s “Adoption Forums” to deal with adoption barriers that were stranding children in foster care. He worked on legislation to give foster children a greater voice in decisions about their lives. The law now requires courts to consult the child when holding a hearing about permanent home placement.
The Supreme Court broadcasts its oral arguments and other events in the courtroom live on the Internet via streaming video technology. Streaming will begin shortly before the ceremony begins at 10 a.m. Visit http://courts.mi.gov/Pages/default.aspx and click on “Supreme Court.”
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Michigan Adoption Fast Facts
As of September 30, there are about 13,000 children in Michigan’s foster care system.
There are about 2,400 children whose parents’ rights have been terminated and have a goal of adoption.
More than 1,700 children were adopted in Michigan in FY2015 through DHHS or private adoption agencies. On average 51 percent of children were adopted by their foster parents,
40 percent of children were adopted by relatives, and 9 percent of children were adopted by a recruited family.
Approximately 90 percent of children who are available for adoption qualify for assistance to help families with some of the costs of bringing children into their homes.
The total amount of adoption assistance paid to adoptive families by the state of Michigan is about $240 million annually.
Michigan’s Adoption Medical Subsidy Program is a reimbursement program that assists in paying for services for adopted children who have an identified physical, mental, or emotional condition which existed, or the cause of which existed, before the adoption petition was filed.
Post adoption services are available statewide through eight Post Adoption Resource Centers and offer the following services: case management, including short-term and emergency in-home intervention; coordination of community services; information dissemination; education; training; advocacy; family recreation activities and support.
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