Adoption Day:

Court is normally closed on Saturday but the judges, attorneys, social workers and court staffers volunteer their time to hold the hearings...

The goal of Dependency Court is to assure the safety and well being of children. If the parents are found to be unable to care for their children,
they are offered reunification services to enable them to reunify with their children. When reunification is not possible, the Court provides the
children with a permanent plan. The choices are as follows: long term foster care, guardianship or adoption. The Courts favor adoption as
that is the most permanent plan of the three choices. At the (July 28, 2001) Saturday Adoption Day in Los Angeles County,
Andrew Bridge* (former CEO/General Counsel for The Alliance for Children's Rights), stated the following:

"We ought to be happy today. For hundreds of children today, a harsh, unforgiving road has reached its end and long awaited rescuers have arrived. An extraordinary second chance at a childhood and a future has begun. Yet, we ought to remember what we asked of the children along the way: we expected them to endure unfathomable loneliness, possess courage few of us have, and in the end, outlast every assault a heart can take. If only for a moment, we should remember their bravery and undaunted laughter."

*Andrew Bridge grew-up in Los Angeles County foster care from age 6 to 17. He received his BA from Wesleyan University, his JD
from Harvard Law School and was a Fulbright Scholar. Mr. Bridge is devoted to helping abused and neglected children through his
leadership in the non-profit organization, The Alliance for Children's Rights.

In April, 1998, the Court began a program of completing the adoption process by having an "Adoption Saturday". Hundreds of
adoptions are finalized on just one day through the joint efforts of the Court, DCFS, The Alliance for Children's Rights,
Public Counsel, Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher, as well as other private law firms. CCK is very pleased to be part of this team
effort by supplying Teddy Bears for each child who is being adopted as well as for any siblings who are present in Court.
Throughout the year, days are set aside for "Adoption Day" wherein 40 or 50 adoptions take place on just one day in
one courtroom. CCK provides Teddy Bears for these hearings, too.

The very abstract idea of "adoption" is made understandable for the children as they choose a Teddy Bear to take home, as their
own "forever", and the process that their parents and they are experiencing, as they are being made part of a family, "forever".
And for the parents, the Teddy Bear is a symbolic reminder of this very important day as well as a reminder of the care and
concern of the Court for the welfare of each and every child.

To learn about Adoption Saturday in Lancaster, California.
click here

To learn about our February 1st, 2003 Adoption Saturday in Los Angeles, California,
click here