12 Dallas County families celebrate forever homes for children on National Adoption Day
On National Adoption Day in Dallas County, several children finally got their forever families.
The Murillo family walked into a Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Center courtroom on Saturday, rolling deep in support and love.
"I feel blessed more than anything," said Lucia Murillo, who was adopting 16-month-old Gabriel.
The Murillos are one of 12 families who made their adoptions official Saturday, giving a foster child a permanent, forever home.
Lucia and her Husband Roberto couldn't have any more children, then baby Gabriel came into the picture.
"I feel excited, every time I work out, he's there, he calls me papa," said Roberto. "He's smart… super smart."
Lucia said she knew this adoption was a calling from God.
"There's a lot of kids out there who need a family, they need somebody to love them and have a protective home," she said.
In Texas, there are nearly 6,000 children who are currently eligible for adoption.
"This is the day that everybody leaves the courthouse happy," said Nicki Stafford, with Dallas CASA. "It's a day where everybody is here to celebrate."
Before adoptions are finalized, children are in the permanent custody of child protective services. Organizers said one of the biggest challenges currently is the lack of foster families. Judge Delia Gonzales oversees many of the cases.
"I'm here to celebrate their happiness, and remind everybody why we do this work, why child welfare is so important, why child welfare in our community is so important," said Gonzales. "And get to see the results of wonderful things for our kids that have been in foster care for such a long time."
A long wait, but for these families, a dream come true.
"If you can help, a baby, or a kid, even a teenager, do it," Lucia said.
Dallas CASA is always looking for volunteers. For more information on that you can visit https://www.dallascasa.org/