WREX.com – Rockford’s News LeaderWinnebago County families celebrate national adoption day

Winnebago County families celebrate national adoption day

By Samantha Ptashkin

ROCKFORD (WREX)- Every day foster children right here in Winnebago County wish they had a permanent place they could call home and spend time with family. Today that vision is now reality for some children.

To celebrate National Adoption Day, a couple dozen sets of moms and dads packed the Winnebago County courthouse to officially form their families.

Jessica and Nathan Schoensiegel adopted their 16-month old niece. "We were just so glad we were able to step in and be there for her when she needed someone," Jessica Schoensiegel said.

The 17th circuit judges finalized 28 adoptions. This is the sixth year Winnebago County has celebrated the day and in that time 130 children have found safe and loving homes. In many of those cases it's families adopting their own nephews, or nieces into their home.

"We were her relative foster parents and then the goal was always to return home, but when we realized that wasn't going to be able to be possible, we were just overjoyed to make her a part of our family," Jessica said.

Across the country there's about 510,000 children in foster care and nearly 130,000 of them are waiting to be adopted. Last year on National Adoption Day, judges finalized more than 4,500 adoptions.

The Schoensiegel's said it's a process and a day they'll never forget. "We are just so in love with her," Jessica said.

"It's one of the best days of your life," Nathan said.

If you'd like more information about children in foster care and the adoption process here is a list of contacts:

Catholic Charities 815-965-0623

Children's Home + Aid Society 815-962-1043

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois 815-969-8836

Rockford Department of Children and Family Services 815-967-3731