There were smiles for miles at the Juvenile Justice Center, where the lives of dozens of kids were forever changed because men and women in our area are willing to open up their homes.
Two weeks before Christmas and the judge is playing Santa. And with that, the McMann family grows by one little girl in a pony tail named Blake. Her grandma, Janice McMann, never imagined adoption would bring such a special girl into her life.
"It has been an unbelievable blessing, because we have two of them, and it's just been fantastic," she said.
A reception for the adoptions has Santa greeting everyone. And now the McMann family's little boy will officially have a little sister for Christmas.
"My son Law came to us when he just turned two and his was real easy. Six months later we adopted him, easy breezy. And then a year later, we decided to add to our family and this little girl came into the system and we thought that she just seemed like a good fit. She looks just like my husband, which is crazy," said Blake's adoptive mother, Kate McMann.
Forty-three CPS children were adopted Wednesday at the Juvenile Justice Center.
The December event is one 28-year-old Shelby Jaggers-Reich never misses. You see, she was adopted more than 23 years ago and says it was the best day of her life.
"The morals and values they taught me and one day when I'm ready to have kids, I'm definitely going to adopt. But I wouldn't have the life that I have if it wasn't for my parents," Jaggers-Reich said.
And now another little girl will be following in her footsteps.
"It hasn't been a difficult thing, it's just the wait has been long and the day is finally here and we can't believe it's here, and now she is mine forever," Kate McMann said.
Kate McMann says foster care adoption is very simple and very inexpensive, so if those are your hurdles into being a parent, look into it because it's a great option.
