** MEDIA ADVISORY **

Christie Administration Recognizes National Adoption Month
Department of Children and Families (DCF) and New Jersey Courts to Finalize Over 200 Adoptions at Events Taking Place Across the State

November is National Adoption Month, and many New Jersey counties will be holding adoption events for recently finalized adoptive families throughout the month.

The Department of Children and Families (DCF) and New Jersey Courts will celebrate National Adoption Month this November, co-hosting numerous events to honor adoptive families and finalizing the adoptions of approximately 220 children currently in foster care.

While this is a time to celebrate the establishment of “forever families,” states across the country are facing shortages of foster parents. New Jersey’s story, on the other hand, is quite different thanks to successful foster home recruitment and adoption practice advancements.  Since 2006, DCF’s Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) has recruited an impressive number of foster and adoptive homes, and other states and jurisdictions are looking to New Jersey as a model to replicate. The number and diversity of available foster home placements helps to ensure that a child’s first placement is the best and final placement.  In fact, approximately 90 percent of the children who are adopted in New Jersey are adopted by their foster parents. Potential foster and adoptive families go through the same resource family licensing process. Therefore, it can be a seamless transition from fostering to adopting.

The majority of this month’s events, stretching from Cape May County to Essex County, will be held over a week, culminating on Saturday, November 20, with the State’s largest National Adoption Day celebration held annually in Newark. Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno and DCF Commissioner Allison Blake are scheduled attend.

This year’s celebrations include adoption finalizations for adolescents in foster care, as well as sibling groups being adopted together, and children being adopted by relatives and kin.

DCF Press Office can connect reporters with families willing to tell their stories. Examples of potential families to highlight include: 

• In Middlesex County, a family who adopted two siblings on Adoption Day last year, is adopting a third sibling this year. 
• In Monmouth County, four siblings are being adopted together by a relative.
• A Camden County child with special needs is being connected with his forever family.
• In Gloucester County, two teenage siblings are being adopted together.

If the press is interested in covering a National Adoption Month event or being connected with one of these families or another family in their coverage area, please call the DCF Press Office, 609-633-8507, for further information.

A complete list of the scheduled events is attached. Please note that adoption court hearings are closed to the press, but each event listed notes whether members of the press are invited to attend scheduled family celebrations and other receptions following the court hearings. If there is no event, reporters or photographers may be connected with an adoptive family in their area through the DCF Press Office.

Some counties will also celebrate private adoptions that are not conducted through the state’s child welfare system.

National Adoption Day was initiated in 2000 by the Alliance for Children’s Rights, with support from organizations including the Freddie Mac Foundation and the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

For more information on adoption, call 1-800-NJ ADOPT (992-3678) or visit the DCF adoption Web site at www.njadopt.org.

Monday, November 15, 2010

HUNTERDON, SOMERSET, WARREN COUNTIES
Hunterdon County Justice Center
65 Park Avenue, Flemington, NJ
1:30 p.m.

Approximately 6 children in foster care will finalize adoptions. The new families will be invited to a reception at the Hunterdon County Justice Center following their hearings. Press is invited to attend this reception.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

OCEAN COUNTY
Ocean County Justice Complex
120 Hooper Avenue, Toms River, NJ
9:00 a.m.

Approximately 20 children in foster care will finalize adoptions. The new families will be invited to a reception following their hearings at the Ocean County Library, Mancini Hall, 101 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ. Press is invited to attend this reception.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

ATLANTIC COUNTY
Atlantic County Civil Courts Building
1201 Bacharach Boulevard, Atlantic City, NJ
1:00 p.m.

Approximately 6 children in foster care will finalize adoptions. The new families will be invited to a reception at the Atlantic County Civil Courts Building following their hearings. Press is invited to attend this reception.

MIDDLESEX COUNTY
Middlesex County Courthouse
1 JFK Square, Room 201
8:30 a.m.

Approximately 11 children in foster care will finalize adoptions. A press conference will begin at 8:30 a.m. The new families will be invited to a reception at the Middlesex County Courthouse following their hearings. Press is invited to attend this reception.

Friday, November 19, 2010

BURLINGTON COUNTY
Burlington County Superior Court
49 Rancocas Road, Mount Holly, NJ
8:30 a.m.

Approximately 8 children in foster care will finalize adoptions. The new families will be invited to a celebration luncheon which will begin at 11 a.m. at the Burlington County College, Mount Holly Center Lobby, 1 High Street, Mt. Holly, NJ. Press is invited to attend this luncheon.

CAMDEN COUNTY
Camden County Courthouse
101 South 5^th Street, Camden, NJ
11 a.m.

Approximately 14 children in foster care will finalize adoptions. The new families will be invited to a reception at the Camden County Courthouse following their hearings. Press is invited to attend this reception.

CAPE MAY COUNTY
Historic Courthouse
11 N. Main Street, Cape May Court House
12:00 p.m.

Approximately 6 children in foster care will finalize adoptions. The new families will be invited to a reception at the Historic Courthouse following their hearings. Press is invited to attend this reception.

CUMBERLAND COUNTY
Cumberland County Courthouse
West Broad and Fayette Streets, Bridgeton, NJ
9:00 a.m.

Approximately 15 children in foster care will finalize adoptions. The new families will be invited to a reception at the Cumberland County Courthouse following their hearings. Press is invited to attend this reception.

GLOUCESTER COUNTY
Gloucester County Courthouse
2 North Broad Street, Woodbury, NJ
9:30 a.m.

Approximately 7 children in foster care will finalize adoptions. The new families will be invited to a reception at the Gloucester County Courthouse following their hearings. Press is invited to attend this reception.

HUDSON COUNTY
Hudson County Administrative Building, Family Courthouse
595 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, NJ
11:00 a.m.

Approximately 20 children in foster care will finalize adoptions. A press conference will be held at 12:30 p.m. The new families will be invited to a luncheon at the William Brennan Jr. Courthouse Rotunda, 583 Newark Ave, Jersey City, NJ. Press is invited to attend the reception.

MERCER COUNTY
Mercer County Superior Court
175 South Broad Street, Trenton, NJ
10:00 a.m.

Approximately 20 children in foster care will finalize adoptions. The new families will be invited to a reception following their hearings at the Historic Trenton Masonic Temple, 100 Barrack Street, Trenton, NJ. Press is invited to attend the reception. 

MONMOUTH COUNTY
Monmouth County Courthouse
71 Monument Park, Freehold, NJ
1:30 p.m.

Approximately 10 children in foster care will finalize adoptions. The new families will be invited to a reception at the Monmouth County Courthouse following their hearings. Press is invited to attend this reception.

MORRIS COUNTY
Morris County Administration Building
Court Street, Morristown, NJ
10:00 a.m.

Approximately 1 child in foster care will finalize adoption. A reception will be held at the Morris County Courthouse for all families who adopted through the child welfare system this year. Press is invited to attend this reception.

PASSAIC COUNTY
Passaic County Courthouse
401 Grand Street, Patterson, NJ
10:00 a.m.

Approximately 2 children in foster care will finalize adoptions. Following the hearings, a reception will be held in the Jury Assembly Room in the Passaic County Courthouse for all families who adopted through the child welfare system this year. Press is invited to attend this reception.

SALEM COUNTY
Salem County Courthouse
92 Market Street, Salem, NJ
1:30 p.m.

Approximately 1 child in foster care will finalize adoption. A reception will be held for all families who adopted through the child welfare system this year. The new families will be invited to a reception at the Salem County Courthouse following the hearing. Press is invited to attend this reception.

UNION COUNTY
Union County Courthouse
2 Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ
1:30 p.m.

Approximately12 children in foster care will finalize adoptions. A reception for the new families will follow the hearings at Kean University, Downs Hall, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ. Press is invited to attend this reception.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

ESSEX COUNTY
Robert N. Wilentz Building
212 Washington Street, Newark, NJ
9:00 a.m.

Approximately 60 children in foster care will finalize adoptions. The new families will be invited to a reception after the hearings at Rutgers University Law School, 123 Washington St., Newark, NJ. Press is invited to attend this reception.