National Adoption Day in Marion, Ill.

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Ill. (KFVS) - Eighteen children in southern Illinois have new families.

They were all adopted in Marion in on Friday morning, November 18 as part of National Adoption Day.

The event took place at the Williamson County Courthouse.

National Adoption Day is a collective effort to raise awareness of more than 113,000 children in foster care waiting to be adopted.

“It’s definitely a celebration today because there’s closure, you know, they get some closure with their families and they’re getting ready to move on to the next phase of their life,” Wendy Ingersoll, regional administrator for the Department of Children and Family Services, said.

“You know when, when this happens, it’s just kind of a whirlwind and super exciting and sometimes you forget about what other supports that might be there. And so, really want to drive home with them, you know, that they have this and they have the support system when they need it,” Melinda Squires, social worker, said.

Advocates say adoption can be a lengthy process, sometimes taking up to two years.

National Adoption Day is inspired by a former judge in California who would open his courtroom on Saturday to finalize adoptions and help clear the backlog.

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