Two families adopt three kids during Lenawee County Adoption Day ceremony

ADRIAN — By the time the family testimonials were shared and letters of appreciation were read aloud, there wasn't a dry eye in Lenawee County Probate Judge Catherine A. Sala’s Lenawee County courtroom Tuesday afternoon.

Two families, both bringing with them a host of relatives and other loved ones, participated in the county’s observance of Michigan Adoption Day for 2022. While the official observance of Adoption Day in Michigan was Nov. 22, Lenawee County conducted its ceremony Tuesday, in which three children were legally welcomed into their new families.

Melody Grace Miller, now named Melody Grace Pershing, 4, was adopted by Carleton residents James and Chontay Pershing. Brothers Jayson Allen Elliott-Klump, 13, and Jett Michael Elliott-Klump, 11, were adopted by Blissfield residents Reggie and Brittney Robinson. The boys will now have the last name of Elliott-Klump-Robinson.

According to michigan.gov, approximately 10,000 children in Michigan live away from their parents in foster care, and every year an estimated 2,100 children in foster care throughout the state have the goal of adoption and are legally ready to be adopted. Through adoption agencies and services this year, 1,600 children in Michigan have been provided permanent residency, according to the state’s website.

Adoption agencies and other local partners that promote adoption were present within the packed courtroom, including representatives from Catholic Charities, case workers and foster care workers from Fostering Solutions foster care service in Adrian, and representatives from Lenco Credit Union, which has been a partner with the county for several Adoption Day events. Lenco donates $100 as a startup for a savings account for each child successfully adopted into a Lenawee County home.

Gift bags were presented to each of the children who were adopted during the ceremony and snacks and coffee were provided by Morning Fresh Bakeries and Starbucks. Families were also able to take home floral bouquets and centerpieces designed by Barrett’s Showplace Gardens.

Both adoptions were found to be desirable and in the best interest of the children, Sala ruled.

Sala, who lauded those who choose to become adoptive parents, said she doesn’t get teary eyed when she’s sad, but she does when she’s happy. She called Adoption Day one of her happiest days of the year.

“Days like today are a really wonderful way to celebrate just such a simple need. Kids need homes,” she said, while fighting back tears. "And sometimes, the homes that they're born into can't sustain them. And regardless of how much their parents may care about them, they're not equipped to parent. That's not something that's easy for a child to understand. You could try to explain it to them until you're blue in the face. But at the end of the day, what helps them heal from having to move from one house to another are the people that welcome them into that family unit. That's all of you. And if you weren't here to help us do that, there would be a lot of kids that didn't have anywhere to go.”

Adoption of Melody Pershing

Melody’s adoption case has been open for some time, Sala said. The Pershing family and case workers from Fostering Solutions have both put in a lot of work to make the adoption happen, she said.

Melody has been with Fostering Solutions since 2019.

“She was just shy of 1 year old when she came to us. And, honestly, a lot of the workers here have had quite a bit of interaction with Melody throughout the years. Today is a very happy day for all of us,” Jacque Marry, adoption worker from Fostering Solutions, said.

Melody has spent 16 of the past 23 months with her foster parents, who reside in Carleton.

“This is truly an adoption based out of love,” Marry said. “There is a very strong parent-child bond there. She's very bonded with her parents and they're very bonded with her.”

Both James and Chontay read from letters they had written for Melody.

“You being in my life has made it 1,000 times better,” James read from his letter to Melody. And I look forward to what life brings us. Thank you for everything you are, and just know we love you very much.”

Overcome by emotion, Chontay, who said Melody makes the Pershing family complete, was unable to read the first lines of her letter to her new daughter, leading Melody to ask a handful of times, “Why are you crying, Mommy?”

“These are happy tears,” Chontay said.

“Melody you taught me so much about life and love,” she read from her letter. “Watching you grow, I realized just how quickly life goes by. You have taught me to never take a single day for granted. You've taught me to love with my whole heart and that God is faithful in fulfilling his promises. You bring so much joy into our lives. You're such a fun, spunky, loving little girl. And I cannot wait to see what the future holds for us. I love you.”

At least four generations of family members were present to see the adoption of Melody by the Pershings.

Adoption of Jayson and Jett Elliott-Klump-Robinson

Because of the age of both boys, Marry called the adoption for the Robinson family a “special adoption.” Jayson is 13, and Jett is 11.

“It takes a very special family to welcome preteens into their home. And this family has done so, in an amazing way. They are providing the boys with a wonderful home, a wonderful family,” Marry said. “...I think it’s in the boys’ best interest, (for the adoption to take place)."

Fostering Solutions foster care worker Brandi Bales also recommended the adoption take place.

“The family is absolutely great. And the boys mesh very well with them. They're very active and busy all the time with their sports schedules and their involvement,” Bales said.

Reggie Robinson said it was a pretty easy decision for the family to make when deciding to adopt the boys. He credited a large family support system, which was evident from the number of people in attendance.

“To hear like we heard, that (the brothers) were going to possibly go into the foster care system and that would possibly slip them off and take them out of Blissfield — that doesn’t work. It just won't work,” Reggie said. “So it was a very easy decision for us to step up and welcome them into our family.”

The boys will be joining three other kids at the Robinson home: Brooke, 15, Zach, 12, and Rene, 7. Beyond that, Robinson said, they have a slew of cousins, also.

“It’s a pretty good merge,” he said. “It’s stacked up right there. We’ll be having graduation party after graduation party before we know it.”

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Three children adopted into two families during Adoption Day ceremony