National Adoption Day
Submitted by Somerset County
Ten-year-old Christian Jesse Perez-Ortiz was adopted on November 19th as part of Somerset County’s National Adoption Day celebration, allowing enthusiastic parents Jose and Anthony Perez-Ortiz along with their new son to enjoy their first Thanksgiving holiday as a family. The adoption process was completed with the assistance of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families as well as Somerset County Surrogate Bernice “Tina” Jalloh’s Office.
“How wonderful that Christian’s adoption is taking place for National Adoption Day and in time for Thanksgiving dinner with his new parents,” said Surrogate Jalloh. “Thanks to the efficiency and dedication of the New Jersey Department of Children and Families and my Surrogate’s staff there is one less child that needs a forever home for the holidays.”
The excited new parents of Christian acknowledge that fostering and adoption is a long process with many bumps, twists, and turns. However, given their experiences, they encourage others to consider both fostering and adoption.
“We are so excited to grow our family through the foster care system and adoption process with more than 120,000 U.S. children waiting for their forever home,” said Jose and Anthony Perez-Ortiz. “Being foster dads can be emotionally draining, but it has also been one of the biggest blessings of our lives. It has taught us that a family isn’t made from blood, but made from love. We encourage any family who can foster or adopt to do so.”
In the adoption process, the Somerset County Surrogate serves as Deputy Clerk of the Superior Court, Chancery Division, and is responsible for reviewing and processing the adoption paperwork to ensure that it meets state requirements. The Surrogate’s Office also maintains records of all the required adoption paperwork.
National Adoption Day
To raise awareness about the 120,000 children in the U.S. living in foster care, the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, Alliance for Children’s Rights, and the Children’s Action Network founded National Adoption Day. Currently, there are more than 75,000 foster children adopted due to National Adoption Day events.
The first National Adoption Day was inspired by the innovative efforts of Michael Nash, a former presiding judge of Los Angeles County’s Juvenile Court. Nash, in addition to the volunteer efforts of court personnel, opened the court on Saturdays in order to finalize adoptions, which reduced the backlog of one of the busiest courts in the nation.
More information on the Surrogate’s office and how to adopt a child can be found at soconj.gov/surrogate.
