Michigan Supreme Court Justice David F. Viviano will be back visiting Macomb County Circuit Court next week to observe his favorite day in the courtroom.
Viviano, who served on the circuit court bench before he was selected for the high court bench two years, will take part in Adoption Day festivities in Mt. Clemens on Tuesday, Nov. 24.
“Adoption Day is my favorite day in the courtroom because there are no arguments or disagreements,” Viviano said. “I look forward to seeing the happy faces, smiles and even tears of joy.”
“This day reminds us all that when we work together, a loving home can be a reality for every child,” he said.
The event begins at 8:30 a.m. and will be held on the second floor of the Circuit Court Building, 40 N. Main Street.
Adoption Day is a Thanksgiving holiday tradition held in courts across the state in order to celebrate with families who are adopting children and to reach out to families who may be thinking about adoption, according to court officials.
On behalf of the circuit court bench, Chief Judge James M. Biernat said is was “an honor for the court to play such an integral role in the lives of children and families.”
“Being able to give a child a forever home is one of the most rewarding things that we do as judges,” Biernat said. “It is a privilege for the Macomb County Circuit
Court to be a part of this exciting celebration that is happening across the state and I hope that the community will join us at this important event.”
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services reports that nearly 300 children in Michigan’s foster care system are waiting for adoptive families to open their hearts and homes.
To raise awareness of the need, Gov. Rick Snyder proclaimed November to be Adoption Month in Michigan and Nov. 24 to be Adoption Day. November is also national Adoption Month.
The Department of Health and Human Services works with partners in the court system and from private adoption agencies to find loving families who want to adopt.
In fiscal year 2015, more than 1,700 children were adopted from the foster care system in Michigan.
“Finding homes that children in our foster care system can call their own is one of the top priorities for MDHHS,” said Steve Yager, executive director of the department’s Children’s Services Agency. “To reach their fullest potential, children need to have permanent homes. When the state can’t return a foster child to his or her home, it’s imperative that we find a permanent home through adoption as quickly as possible.”
People can adopt whether they’re single or married.
Children in the foster care system become eligible for adoption following termination of parental rights due to abuse and neglect.
There are 13,000 children in the foster care system, but the goal for most of these children is reunification with their families.
About 2,100 of the 2,400 children with an adoption goal have identified adoptive families, according to Yager.
Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Robert P. Young, Jr. said Michigan Adoption Day is aimed at raising awareness and encouraging potential adoptive and foster parents to step forward.
Young noted that, while adoption finalization hearings are usually private, many participating courts will open their hearings to the public.
“Adoption Day gives the public a window into the adoption process,” Young said. “This is a celebration of adoption, but our purpose is to educate the public about the rewards of being an adoptive parent. Every child deserves a loving, forever home.”
At the Supreme Court courtroom in Lansing, Chief Justice Young and Justice Bridget M. McCormack will join Washtenaw Circuit Judge Timothy Connors and Tribal Judge Michael Petoskey that day in finalizing adoptions for families from Washtenaw County.
That ceremony also will include the presentation of the Daniel J. Wright Lifetime Achievement Award.
Jointly sponsored by the Michigan Supreme Court and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the award was established in honor of the late Daniel J. Wright of Grand Ledge.
As director of the Friend of the Court Bureau and Child Welfare Services divisions of the State Court Administrative Office, Wright helped create the state’s “Adoption Forums” to deal with adoption barriers that were stranding children in foster care.
He worked on legislation to give foster children a greater voice in decisions about their lives.
The law now requires courts to consult the child when holding a hearing about permanent home placement.
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