Child welfare advocates celebrate recent adoptions at Queens Family Court

Yolanda Ferguson and her husband finalized the adoption of five children: Divinity, Darling, Daniel, Jeremiah and David Angela. Photo courtesy of ACS.

By Jonathan Sperling

Child welfare advocates took to Queens Family Court in Jamaica on Wednesday to celebrate a series of just-finalized adoptions.

The celebration, attended by the New York City Administration for Children’s Services, family court judges, attorneys, foster care agency caseworkers, adopted children and their families, was held in recognition of National Adoption Month.

National Adoption Month was officially created under President Bill Clinton in 1995, but the history of the month stems back to a 1976 proclamation by Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis. “Adoption Week” was created to promote awareness of the need for adoptive families.

Today, in Queens and nationwide, National Adoption Month serves as a way for child welfare agencies and adoptive family groups to help educate their respective communities about the thousands of children and youth currently in foster care looking for a permanent home.