More than 100 foster kids in the Inland Empire got a priceless holiday gift on Wednesday. They were adopted into a loving family.
It was a day of celebration for the children ages nine months to 17 years old.
That’s because they are officially being adopted at the 23rd annual adoption finalization event for San Bernardino County children and family services.
"Honestly I couldn't sleep last night because I was so excited,” Juliet Wade said.
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Wade and her husband Phillip are foster parents who adopted an adorable little boy.
They say the birth mother had to give him up, and when they found out his name, they knew it was meant to be because about a year ago, Phillip lost his brother Robert.
"The birth mom called and said his name is going to be Robert and that was his brother that died, Robert Wade, and his name is Robert Wade,” Wade said.
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“The next morning I woke up and my wife told me the events. She just told you about his name being Robert and it told me, God was saying it's ok don't worry about him I got him,” Phillip Wade said.
There were so many powerful stories like that at the Ontario Convention Center.
All of these adoptive parents and children have gone through a lot of legal hurdles to get to this point, and it's been a long and difficult process.
“This is really what we do this work for, just to make sure children end up in a safe home with a family that loves them and will help them grow up,” Jeany Zepeda, director of Children and Family Services said.
Two-year-old Artest was being adopted by Jennifer Henderson, a single mom who's an empty nester.
“He was a baby, abandoned, neglected, left. So I wanted to be the opposite of all, I wanted to show up, I wanted to be there for him, to love him through whatever it is he had been through,” Henderson said.
And with a final signature, the children are officially adopted into their new families.
“I love it so much,” McKayla Wade said.
Robert will share a home with older sister McKayla, and also his two other future sisters who are in the process of being adopted by Phillip and Juliet.
"What it means to be adopted? to me is that somebody wanted me and somebody loves me and i'm going to be part of this family,” Sah’niah Wade said. “It means the world to me.
