On Wednesday, Nov. 20, 16 children found permanency into 12 forever families as their adoptions were finalized at the Duval County Courthouse in a festive ceremony celebrating National Adoption Day, National Adoption Month and their next steps forward together. It was the largest National Adoption Day finalization celebration to date for Family Support Services.

Action News Jax and News4Jax were on hand to capture some of the day, filled with emotion and happy tears. As Jenn Petion, President and CEO of Family Support Services, explains, coming to court can sometimes have unhappy memories attached to it, so the nonprofit, judiciary and their partners take great joy in making adoption days as celebratory as possible.

Click here to see the coverage from Action News Jax.

Click here to watch the coverage from News4Jax.

As of November 2024, there are currently more than 360 children open to adoption from the North Florida system of care, including teens and siblings. To learn more about adoption with FSS, click here.

For media inquiry, email media@fssnf.org.