Judge Amanda Biasi-Gott welcomed the Skeate family to her courtroom on Friday. They're formalizing the adoption of their daughter. As a juvenile judge, Gott oversees adoptions all year, but she says adoption day is special for her, "Trying to find as many children there forever families as possible and do it all in one day. So many volunteers participate. It's just such a wonderful event and it's a joy."
After the adoption becomes official, Scott and Lisa Skeate join Judge Gott and their lawyer, Andrea McNeil, to take pictures with their new forever family. The Skeets have a 25-year-old son born to them, but today is their 4th adoption. Lisa says their new 20-month-old daughter joins two brothers and a sister, aged 7, 6, and 5, "It finalizes our family. It completes our family. You know, officially."
While Scott and Lisa are now a mom and dad, they say they couldn't do it all without the help of their family and even their caseworker. And adopting A toddler was helped along by the Restore Network.
Lisa, "We all of a sudden had a baby. We were done. We were done. We thought we were done and we. Guess what? And we're not."
Scott jumps in, "And they helped us get things that we had gotten rid of and we didn't have any more. And it just, they're a crucial part. They provide They provide a place where we can go and talk with other foster parents."
Altogether on Friday, 34 children were adopted to 22 families. It was just one event among others around the state over the next few days. Nearly 2,500 children have been adopted over the last year. Wendy Ingersoll, the deputy over permanency for the Department of Children and Family Services, says this is a record year for adoption day. Ingersoll says they're always in need of nurturing homes to provide structure and love for children, "There are so many positives with becoming a foster parent and the options that you have to expand your family and provide for another youth that maybe had some traumatic experiences in the past."
The Lisa and Scott Skeat agree with that idea without hesitation, "Do it. Do it. It's best for the kids. It's just what's about the kids."
