Thirteen children in Pasco County found permanent families on Adoption Day at the Pasco County courthouse in New Port Richey. Colorful characters greeted children in the hallways, and stuffed animals filled the jury box as families gathered to celebrate. The event is part of a larger need: about 20,000 children are in Florida’s foster care system at any given time.
Denise Robinson adopted three children she had fostered for the past four years: a boy named Mariano and two girls, Zoey and Nevaeh. “Zoey and Nevaeh were so tiny when they came to me. They were 22 and 19 pounds and they were 3 and 2 years old. And they were so tiny and so afraid. You just love on them,” Robinson said.
Susan Eby, president of Youth and Family Advocates, said the organization works to reunite children with their birth parents whenever possible. When that is not an option, adoption can provide the stability and permanent home children need. “Some of these children have really experienced a lot of trauma and a lot of different placements sometimes,” Eby said. “This may not be their first home that they’ve been in, so this is a very special day for them.”
Robinson estimates she has opened her home to at least 100 foster children over the past 20 years. She acknowledges fostering can be difficult, but she encourages others to help, even with a small commitment. “Whether you take one kid. Whether you take five. If you can just help out a little bit. Give a kid a Christmas. A Thanksgiving,” Robinson said.
Originally reported by ABC Action News
