Local Celebrations for National Adoption Day

On Nov. 20, Central Florida families opened their arms to new members as 30 children were adopted in ceremonies in Orange, Osceola and Seminole counties. Ranging in age from toddlers to teens, the children were among nearly 4,500 kids who participated in National Adoption Day celebrations across the country. Seventeen children were adopted in Orange County alone.

“Bringing these families together and witnessing these adoptions is one of the most rewarding parts of my job,” Glen Casel, president and CEO of Community Based Care of Central Florida (CBCCF), says. The agency oversees foster care and adoption locally and has created more than 1,126 forever families since its inception in 2004.

“Important decisions are made every day in our community’s courtrooms, but it’s not often I have the opportunity to oversee an experience as significant as uniting families on National Adoption Day,” Judge Alicia L. Latimore, who presided over the ceremonies in Orange County, says. “I am honored to be a part of this incredible moment that will forever change the lives of these children and families.”