Youth have found a place to call home.
Seven kids from Prince William County were adopted into four families this year.
The process was completed at a National Adoption Day ceremony that took place at the Prince William County Judicial Center in Manassas on Saturday.
Melanie and Christopher Midlin and their adopted daughter, Alexandra, were among the participants, according to a release from Prince William County.
Alexandra was a foster child in the county before moving to a group home in Richmond last year, explained Melanie Midlin, who served as a teacher.
“When I met Alex, I knew she was supposed to be part of our family; and I went home and I told Christopher, ‘There’s this girl at my school. She’s got to be ours,'” Melanie Midlin said in a release.
The National Adoption Day ceremony was led by Prince William Circuit Court Judge Carroll A. Weimer, Jr., who is an adoptive parent.
“All parents know that children, no matter their age when they come into your lives, are a blessing,” Weimer said. “For those of you whose adoptions, we celebrate today, we are here to lend our stamp of approval and to officially recognize your legal adoption.”
The speakers also included Coles District Supervisor Marty Nohe, who served as the master of ceremonies. He and his wife have adopted children.
“The beautiful thing about adoption is that adoptive families choose each other. They choose to love one another,” Nohe said. “They choose to make themselves permanently bonded to one another … All of this is really to celebrate something that you already understand, and that is that we’re creating new forever families today and bringing together people who were always meant to be together.”
Families have adopted at least 125 kids since 2000, when the inaugural National Adoption Day occurred, according to 31st Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court’s Chief Judge Jan Roltsch-Anoll.
Community members can find additional details regarding adoption and foster care on the county’s website.
