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PART ONE: It’s Party Time
On Saturday, November 19, at Children’s Mercy Park, our Kansas foster care team threw the biggest #NationalAdoptionDay party in Cornerstones of Care history. There was dancing and games, a photo booth, free t-shirts, gift basket giveaways, and a surprise visit from Blue the Mascot – all to celebrate the 97 kids and their families that achieved permanency and found their forever home in 2022.
The guest list for this big celebration included more than just the adopted kids and their family members. It also brought together a diverse community of individuals who played a role in their adoption process.
“We invited all of our Kansas foster care employees, our partner agencies like Foster Adopt Connect, and people we work with at DCF (Department for Children and Families),” said Megan Richardson, Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Adoption Manager and co-chair of the 2022 National Adoption Day event. “We also invited attorneys, court professionals, legal representatives, and the District Court Judge, Jane Wilson.”
Not only did several court members attend the party, but they also went to many of the planning meetings and showed up early to help set up that day. That weekend alone, there were eight adoptions as part of National Adoption Day in Wyandotte, Leavenworth, Johnson, and Shawnee counties.
Also in attendance was Amber Jewel, a local author and foster/adoptive parent who spoke at the event, and Merideth Rose, President & CEO of Cornerstones of Care.
“Merideth showed up in her leggings and these multi-colored high-top sneakers that really spoke to the fact that she was there to have fun, to relate with the kids,” said Richardson. “She was dancing to some of the music later on with the kids.”
Around 100 people attended the #NationalAdoptionDay celebration at Children’s Mercy Park. One of the attendees, *Tracy, was there with her newly-adopted grandchild, *Natasha, and a host of other friends and family members. Just one day earlier, Natasha stood in the Wyandotte County Courthouse and was officially adopted by her grandmother.
Today was a day for celebration and fun.
“We had a great time,” said Tracy. “We stayed until 30 minutes to the end, but even then, they weren’t ready to go. It was a great experience.”
*Names changed to protect privacy
This story is part one of our three-part series, "Tis the Season to Foster Joy" to highlight the end-of-year impact of our work at Cornerstones of Care.