Associate Judge Lori DeAngelis was working hard on Nov. 7 banging the gavel down to complete 10 cases before noon.
But she had a big smile on her face.
“We’re going to do 10 adoptions before noon, I believe,” she said.
The judge from Tarrant County’s 324th District Court was on hand in the makeshift courtroom at the Gladney Center for Adoption to officially complete the adoptions of 24 children to 22 families.
Gladney Adoption Day finalizes a family’s adoption journey and usually is held in November for National Adoption Month.
DeAngelis invited some of the new adoptees and their siblings up to the bench to have a go at banging the gavel themselves.
“I wish I could do this more often,” she said. The celebratory event is a far cry from the usual parade of felony, criminal and civil cases most county district judges endure on a daily basis. “This is a good day.”
The need for adoption in Texas is large, Gladney President and CEO Mark Melson said. About 4,000 children were awaiting adoption in the state in fiscal 2024, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services.
Melson said a lot of families are hesitant about adoption, but he says one of Gladney’s strengths is providing ongoing support.
“We have services we provide to families as they continue their journey,” he said. “We have a lot of experience and data on what works and we share that with them.”
Gladney’s adoption numbers are growing a little bit, which is not true in the adoption field in general, Melson said.
“We’ve really put a lot of effort into the foster care piece here in Texas and looking at how we can grow that,” he said.
The Gladney Center’s history traces back to 1887. In the 1920s, it gained fame for providing adoption services for unwed mothers. “Blossoms in the Dust,” a 1941 Oscar-winning film starring Greer Garson, was a fictionalized story of the organization’s namesake, Edna Gladney.
In 2024, the Gladney Center took one of the biggest steps in the organization’s 138-year history when it joined forces with an East Coast-based agency to increase its geographic presence. The center expanded its national and international reach as well as grew its staff and resources.
“We’re now in 11 countries,” Melson said.
He said the annual event allows families going through the adoption process to connect with each other.
“This lets the families come out and play, meet each other and really celebrate,” Melson said.
Email Bob Francis, business editor for the Fort Worth Report, at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org.At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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