Preview before the event, on Edhat:
https://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?nid=161544
Coverage of the event in Santa Maria Times and Lompoc Record:
http://santamariatimes.com/news/local/foster-children-join-their-new-families-on-adoption-day/article_8dfa2a4a-f40d-5fd3-90ed-458b7bc548ad.html
http://lompocrecord.com/news/local/foster-children-join-their-new-families-on-adoption-day/article_e338b21f-de73-526e-a7dc-b216d474ea21.html
Coverage of the event on KEYT 3 (KCOY/KKFX) TV:
http://www.keyt.com/news/local-kids-honored-on-adoption-day/36528848
Coverage of the event on KSBY 6 (Central Coast 5) TV:
http://www.ksby.com/story/30552593/local-foster-children-adopted-in-santa-maria-as-part-of-adoption-day
Coverage of the event in Santa Barbara News-Press:
http://www.newspress.com/Top/Article/article.jsp?Section=LOCAL&ID=567376188608217116
Full text of News-Press article after the jump.
Forming new families
National Adoption Day observed in Santa Barbara County
By EMILY LESLIE NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
November 19, 2015 12:00 AM
A
Santa Maria woman can now call her grandchildren her own after adopting them
Wednesday during Santa Barbara County's annual Adoption Day.
"They're
mine," said Kathy Mendoza as she stood in front of the Santa Maria
Juvenile Court, where the adoption was finalized. "They get to stay with
our family. They get to be together."
Her
three grandchildren, Layla, 6, Mikey, 3, and Carly, 2, were taken into foster
care in June 2014 and placed in different homes. "That
was really heartbreaking," Ms. Mendoza said, noting that she was
constantly worried about the children when they were in foster care.
Working
full time at 53 years of age, Ms. Mendoza is now a single mother of the three
small children. "It's
been the hardest thing I've ever done in my life," she said of becoming a
mother again. Although
the process of becoming a parent is a challenge, Ms. Mendoza is excited to
watch her grandchildren grow and share life's experiences with them.
"Life's a challenge and being a parent in of itself is a challenge, but it's also such a blessing and I'm so grateful for where we're at," she said. "I'm thankful that they are with me and that they get to be with their family and that I get to see them grow. I get to be the one to teach them, be the one to scold them, be the one to see them achieve their goals ... I want to be there for every aspect," she said.
Seven
local foster children, including Ms. Mendoza's children, found permanent homes
when Judge Arthur Garcia granted their adoptions Wednesday.
While
adoptions take place throughout the year, National Adoption Day is a more
festive occasion that allows families across the county to celebrate with one
another.
It is important for children to develop attachments with a parental figure, noted Gustavo Prado, a business specialist for the Santa Barbara County Department of Social Services. "That's what these people are doing," Mr. Prado said of the adoptive parents. "They are stepping up and saying, 'I want to be that person that this child calls when (they) need something.' That they want to see them through their adulthood."
There
are up to 450 local children and youth in foster care in Santa Barbara County.
Last year, 90 kids were adopted. Right now, at least 100 foster children in the
county are awaiting a permanent family.
As a resource family recruiter for the county who has three adopted children of her own, Anastasia Stone noted there is a local need for foster and adoptive parents. "Both my husband and I always knew we wanted to adopt," she said. "Once we knew that there was a need locally, there was no way to ignore a local need."
Mr. Prado encourages the community to get involved, whether it's becoming a foster parent, a mentor to foster children, or simply having one of the children over for dinner. "We have older kids who need a place to go for Thanksgiving dinner," Mr. Prado pointed out.
For more information on foster care or adoption, call the Department of Social Services at 866-899-2649, or visit AdoptSBC.com.
email: eleslie@newspress.com
