November is Adoption Awareness month across the nation, and each year Williamson County celebrates new families with as much fun as formality. Adoption Month brings awareness to the great many children who are waiting for their forever homes. While adoptions are done all the time in our District courts, many clients and families who work with Child Protective Services choose to formalize the occasion publicly. Thanks to the combined efforts of Williamson County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), Child Welfare Board, and Bar Association, this annual event includes thousands of dollars’ worth of donated toys and books for the adoptees and a catered lunch for all. Judge Betsy Lambeth (425th District) presides over much of the family docket and she always ensures family members are able to testify aloud what is written on all of their faces, mostly in tears; they were already family and just needed to judges to make it so, legally.
Denise Hyde is a family law attorney and has been participating in Adoption Day for 20 years. “Every adoption is wonderful, but Adoption Day is incredible. All these families are opening their hearts and homes and making a commitment to be a Forever family. It’s magic.” Judge Lambeth is celebrating her fourth Adoption Day (Nov. 8) as a judge and explained all the cases in the annual event are managed by CPS. “It’s so great to hear the stories of the families. So much of what we have to do sometimes breaks up families. This is the one time we get to make families.”