Cass County is home to thousands of families of all types and demographics. To show support for the families that have built themselves in a less traditional manner, Cass County courts will soon host a celebration for adoptive families.

Michigan’s annual Adoption Day will take place at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 21 at the Cass County Law and Courts Building, 60296 M-62, Cassopolis. Cass County will be one of more than 30 counties taking part in the event.

Now in its 15th year, Adoption Day is a statewide event that works to celebrate adoptive and foster families. On the day, participating counties and courts finalize adoptions, host parties for adoptive families, and educate the public about the adoption process. As the event is taking place on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, the theme of the event will be “giving thanks for families.”

In the 15 years since Cass County Probate Court started participating in Adoption day, it has finalized more than 650 adoptions. These adoptions include agency adoptions, step-parent adoptions, international adoptions, adult adoptions, and direct placement adoptions.

“Adoption Day is a really big deal. We work really hard to make it special for the families,” said Cass County Probate Register Kelly James-Jura. “This is our big celebration of the year. We invite the media and people like John Proos and Representative Miller. We invite people in the community. The families can also invite whoever else for when they finalize the adoption on the record.”

Cake and presents will be provided to the adopted children in an effort to make the day as special as possible, James-Jura said.

Cass County’s Adoption Day will be presided over by Judge Susan Dobrich, a Cass County probate judge. Chief Judge of the Michigan Court of Appeals Michael J. Talbot will serve as a guest speaker at the event, along with other speakers.

The speeches that Dobrich and Talbot will give at the event will work to educate the public about the adoption process and the needs of many foster children to find permanent homes, according to James-Jura.

As of 2017, there are currently 13,000 children in foster care in the state of Michigan, including more than 300 children who are still in need of a forever family, according to data from Michigan Adoption Services.

The goal of Adoption Day and, more generally, Michigan’s Adoption Services Program, is to place children who are state wards or permanent court wards with forever families through adoption following termination of parental rights.

Adoption services are provided to children and their families before and after the adoption by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and through contracts with 63 Michigan child-placing agencies.

Michigan Adoption Day is cosponsored by the Michigan Supreme Court, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange, and the Child Welfare Services Division of the State Court Administrative Office.