On November 19th, our group travelled downtown the the New York Court, located on Lafayette Street, where we volunteered at Adoption Day. Adoption Day is a joyous day where several adoption cases are legally finalized in court, and then celebrated. Diane and Roy, two adoption clerks that work at the Court, invited us to attend the special day and help out with small tasks. At first we were hesitant to how this event was related to our topic of child abuse. What we learned from Diane and Roy though, was that many of the children that were being adopted, had faced abuse at one time or another during their life prior to adoption. Although we knew that we weren’t going to be able to bring up child abuse at the event because it is an incredibly sensitive issue, we were excited to be able to volunteer for such a happy, celebratory cause.

When we first arrived at the Court, we went through security and then were directed to the 6th floor, where Adoption Day was taking place. We found the location and introduced ourselves to Roy and Diane, who instantly made us feel welcomed with their warm enthusiasm and gratitude. We put our bags down and immediately began to help prepare for the arrival of the adoption families. Diane gave the simple task of setting out food and drinks, and organizing the gifts. By the time we were done with that, the long table was crowded with juice boxes, cookies, and sweets, as well as backpacks, stuffed animals, and books for the adopted children. After about half and hour, families began to pour in. Each family shared a kind smile and seemed to be overjoyed to be at such a special event. At 9:00, the court cases began. While the first couple of cases took place, we were introduced to some people and acquainted ourselves with the crowded, merry environment. When the family from the first case came out, they received a loud cheering and applause from the crowd in the main room. The newly adopted child made their way to our table where we handed him a book, a bracelet, a backpack, and a stuffed animal. The beaming look on his cute little face warmed my heart and truly touched me.

After we had been handing out goodies to the children for an hour or so, Roy invited us to come into the court room to observe an actual case. Unsure of what to expect, but very excitedly, we entered the room. At the front table sat Judge Pearl, a middle-aged woman with a black robe on and a big, welcoming smile. Across from her, sat a family. A husband and wife sat together with their adorable toddler embraced in their arms and other distant relatives crowded around them. The procedure began with each family member stating their name, address, and relation to the husband and wife and their child. Afterwards, Judge Pearl signed a series of documents agreeing to the adoption. Within the first few minutes of witnessing the case, my warmth began to spread through my heart and a smile grew on my face. Judge Pearl then asked the gentleman and his wife to say a little bit about what the special day meant to them. With tears in their eyes, they each shared their overjoyed feelings. Judge Pearl then looked the child in the eyes with great sincerity and counted to three. At the end of the count, the whole court room burst into applause. The child had now been officially and legally adopted! We exited the court room with wide smiles and returned to our table where we handed out more gifts to each adopted child.

Our entire experience at Adoption Day was unforgettable and very touching. I am still amazed that we got to be a part of such an important and happy day for each of the families. The court procedure brought tears of joy to our eyes and was incredibly personal and warm. Not only did I gain a great place in my heart for the event and adoption in general, but I learned a lot about the adoption process. I was shocked at how long it took for some of the parents to legally adopt their children. One woman had been waiting four years for that day when she could say that her child was legally hers! I was also amazed at how personal and intimate Judge Pearl made each case. Although the cases were for the purpose of legal finalization of the adoptions, the Judge really focused each case on the individual family as well as made each young child comfortable in her court. From that experience, and in seeing the bright faces of each child, I learned that child abuse (and any other hardship), can be overcame. There are always new beginnings and new opportunities to heal, and I saw that in the loving and happy way that each child looked at their new family.