'It just feels complete': Ottawa County celebrates adoption day
OTTAWA COUNTY — Six families celebrated the “happiest day in court” in Ottawa County on Tuesday, Nov. 22, as part of Michigan Adoption Day.
Judges Mark Feyen and Kent Engle held six confirmation hearings, officially welcoming a total of eight children into new families. Tuesday marked Michigan's 20th Annual Adoption Day.
An opening celebration included remarks from Engle, Feyen, 2nd District Court of Appeals Judge Sima Patel, Ottawa County Board Chair Matt Fenske and Russell Miller, one of the parents adopting a child Tuesday.
“This day gives us an opportunity to celebrate wonderful outcomes for children in our community who are the most vulnerable,” Engle said. “We celebrate that several children are enjoying permanent stability and a chance at a better life.”
The Miller Family
Russell and Amy Miller took in Gracelynn Marie shortly after her birth just over two years ago. The child was the Millers’ first foster after getting their fostering license.
Gracelynn lost her mother soon after, and the Millers, who were struck with love for the child since the day she arrived, began a long adoption process.
“Our little one has been with us for over two years, two amazing years,” Russell said. “Even though the process was long and frustrating at times, all the while, she brought us laughter and joy daily.”
The Millers began fostering as a function of their faith. Although the adoption wasn't finalized until Tuesday, Russell said Gracelynn became part of the family’s “us” right away.
“It was instant, it was like a child at birth,” Russell said. “Honestly, I thought foster care would feel like babysitting someone else’s kid. That was not the case for us. Our ‘us’ changed.
“When she was brought to our home, she became ‘us.’ ‘Us’ was six, and then instantly ‘us’ meant seven. Today, ‘us’ is going to be official.”
The Howard Family
Rob and Rachelle Howard are also relatively new foster parents and adopted their first fosters, Aleah and Delilah, on Tuesday. The Howards began fostering Aleah, 3, and Delilah, 2, in March 2021, when Delilah was just 9 months old.
The girls join a family with five older siblings. Rob and Rachelle said foster parenting came with hoops to jump through and challenges, but the family was changed for the better through the process.
“From the first day they walked into our house, truly, they just became part of our family,” Rachelle said. “We feel incredibly blessed to have them. They have changed us as much as we’ve changed their lives. How they’ve transformed our family, you can’t even put it into words.”
“It just feels complete,” Rob said. “We’re not done with foster care, but the adoption is finally official with these two, and we’ll see what the world brings us next.”
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The Howards participated in Adoption Day to celebrate their new additions and bring attention to the need for foster families.
“We wanted to celebrate the girls and show them off to the world. It’s important to bring attention to the need for foster families,” Rob said.
“What better way to do it than on National Adoption Day?" Rachelle added. "I think it’s a neat thing to tell them ‘You were adopted on National Adoption Day.’”
— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at mboatman@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: 'It just feels complete': Ottawa County celebrates adoption day
