Event: Adoption Day Celebration
Date: November 22, 2024
Location: Family Justice Courthouse, San Jose, CA
Event Highlights:
On November 22nd, we were honored to participate in Santa Clara County’s 18th Annual Adoption Day Celebration. This celebration is held every year the week before Thanksgiving in honor of foster children finding their forever homes. While the court’s primary goal is to reunify children with their families, this is not always possible. Many children in the dependency court system remain in care until they age out at 21. However, adoption offers a hopeful new beginning for those who find a loving and permanent home.
At Santa Clara County’s Superior Court, we witness the official union of 10 families, a momentous occasion for 19 children who moved out of the foster care system and into permanent, loving homes. Among these children, four were supported by our dedicated CASA Volunteers. These CASAs worked tirelessly, offering their time and resources to provide invaluable support to the youth and detailed reports to the court, advocating for the children’s needs and recommending adoption.
Among the volunteers present was CASA Bob Feldman, who was appointed to support two brothers, George and John, who were adopted during the celebrations. He describes seeing the boys grow into confident young men throughout his service.
“I have seen George begin to ‘find his voice,’ evolving from a quiet, shy boy to an outgoing, confident young man. He participated in a leadership class and currently enjoys and excels in his classes. John has a positive attitude we can all appreciate is now a leader in his Junior Varsity football team, playing both offense and defense, earning praise from his coaches.”
CASA Bob has supported George and John by regularly attending court hearings, meeting caregivers, bringing the boys to CASA Events, taking them out to Earthquake games and cheering them on throughout their basketball and football games. He has also been there to support them through difficult moments, such as the passing of a family member.
Throughout the court’s process to secure a permanent home for the two brothers, CASA Bob has been a source of support, guiding them every step of the way.. His dedication has helped ensure that their current placement will soon become their permanent adoptive home. Volunteers like Bob play a vital role in providing foster youth with the stability and advocacy they need to navigate the complexities of the dependency court system. Bob’s unwavering support for these brothers exemplifies the profound impact a CASA Volunteer can have in helping foster youth build brighter futures.
“Advocating for these two fine young men has been a joy,” Bob remarked. “For those thinking of becoming a CASA Volunteer, just SHOW UP and be ready to have fun—whether it’s throwing a football, shooting hoops, talking about life, or sharing New York-style pizza. It is priceless to be able to have such an impact on the lives of our youth.”
After all of the adoptions had been finalized, the day culminated in a true celebration. As families gathered for brunch, they were gifted personalized gift bags from Child Advocates of Silicon Valley. For the rest of their time, they gathered in celebration and enjoyed a pop-up photo studio capturing each child’s first family portrait—a moment of pure joy and new beginnings.
If you’d like to join us in supporting CASA Volunteers who LIFT UP our foster youth, click the link below to contribute to our GivingTuesday fundraising campaign or sign up for an info session to learn what it takes to become a CASA Volunteer. Your generosity helps us continue our mission of being there for every foster child and youth in Silicon Valley. Together, we can create brighter futures for foster youth.