News Item
Juvenile Court Finalizes Adoptions of Special Needs Children

Posted: Saturday, November 15, 2008

Juvenile Court celebrated final adoption proceedings for 35 children adopted by 24 families today on National Adoption Day 2008.  Five Juvenile Court judges presided over the adoptions, the culmination of a collaborative effort supported by the Hennepin County Board, Child Services workers, dozens of volunteers from the community and sponsored by Target Corporation.

Presiding Juvenile Court Judge Kathryn Quaintance said, "Adoption Day is a very special celebration, a happy ending for families and children who have probably experienced tremendous stress.  Adoption is the promise of a permanent, safe home with loving parents."

National Adoption Day is a collective national effort to raise awareness of the thousands of children in foster care waiting to be adopted.  Currently Hennepin County has 111 children in need of adoptive families. For the last several years, National Adoption Day has made the dreams of thousands of children come true by bringing together courts, judges, attorneys and advocates to finalize adoptions.

In 2007, the judges of Juvenile Court finalized 206 adoptions.  There were 379 special needs children immediately in need of adoptive homes as of September 30, 2008, in the seven-county metropolitan area.  Contact the Minnesota Department of Human Services for more information about Minnesota's waiting children at www.dhs.state.mn.us.