On Friday, November 21, 2014, a dozen children received forever families in an adoption ceremony held at the Orange County Courthouse. The ceremony is held each year to commemorate National Adoption Day, which falls on the Saturday before Thanksgiving Day. Marking his 16th and final year, Circuit Judge Robert Evans presided over the ceremony.
Ninth Circuit Chief Judge Frederick Lauten opened the ceremony by thanking Judge Evans for his continued support of the event. Nicola Bailey, Executive Director of Community Based Care, then gave her opening remarks. The Honorable Alicia Latimore thanked Community Based Care and all the partners who organized the event. Mr. Zackary Gibson, from the Office of the Governor, took the podium to give the proclamation.
Following the opening remarks, Judge Evans called each of the adopting families forward to formally finalize the adoptions. Once an adoption is finalized, the adopting parents have the same legal rights as birth parents. At the conclusion of the event, Nicola Bailey presented Judge Evans with a plaque to thank him for his years of support. Judge Evans has announced he will be retiring from the bench in January of 2015.
A similar ceremony, presided by Circuit Judge Keith Carsten, was held at the Osceola County Courthouse where many other children received forever families.