Baylor Law School Hosts 11th Annual McLennan County Adoption Day
More than two dozen families, including 36 foster children, formalize ‘forever homes’ in time for Christmas
Contact: Ed Nelson, Baylor Law, 254-710-6681
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WACO, Texas (Nov. 16, 2018) – On Friday, Nov. 16, Baylor Law School, in partnership with McLennan County Department of Families and Child Protective Services, celebrated its 11th annual National Adoption Day with more than two dozen central Texas families as their adoptions were finalized.
Over the past 10 years, Baylor Law’s Public Interest Legal Society has planned Adoption Day, making each year special for the children and their families by organizing the festivities around a theme. This year’s theme was “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” as the first floor of the Law School was transformed into a Christmas wonderland.
The 2018 Adoption Day celebration transported adoptive kids and their new families on a magical trip to the North Pole on the Polar Express. There were games, food and fun for everyone involved. But the moment everyone was waiting for came when McLennan County Judge Nikki Mundkowsky finalized the adoptions of 36 children from foster care.
“We are so honored to have played a part in more than 300 adoptions in the past decade,” said Baylor Law Professor Bridget Fuselier, sponsor of Baylor Law’s Public Interest Society.
“So much more needs to be done,” she said. “Adoption Day is part of a nationwide effort to call attention to the more than 117,000 foster children across the country who are waiting for adoption.”
Approximately 30,000 children are in foster care in Texas alone, with nearly 4,000 waiting for adoption.
“Many will age out of the system without ever finding a permanent home,” Fuselier said.
The children whose adoptions were finalized during National Adoption Day were removed from their original homes by CPS and parental rights were terminated. Several of the children who have now officially found their “forever home” have been in foster care for many years.
“Being a small part of system that can give a child a family – a loving, safe and supportive family that every child deserves – is a great honor and the highlight of my job,” said Judge Mundkowski. “It is truly incredible to see and feel the culmination of the department’s work, in conjunction with the work of attorneys, others and families on Adoption Day.”
Over the past decade, more than 500 Baylor Law students have volunteered thousands of hours before, during and after Adoption Day, one of the largest volunteer events at the Law School.
ABOUT BAYLOR LAW
Established in 1857, Baylor Law School was one of the first law schools in Texas and one of the first west of the Mississippi River. Today, the school has more than 7,400 living alumni. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Baylor Law School has a record of producing outstanding lawyers, many of whom decide upon a career in public service. The Law School boasts two governors, members or former members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, two former directors of the FBI, U.S. ambassadors, federal judges, justices of the Texas Supreme Court and members of the Texas Legislature, among its notable alumni. In its law specialties rankings, U.S. News & World Report ranked Baylor Law’s trial advocacy program as one of the top 5 in the nation. Baylor Law School is also ranked #50 in the magazine’s 2019 edition of "America’s Best Graduate Schools." The National Jurist ranks Baylor Law as one of the "Best School for Practical Training," and in the top 15 "Best Law School Facilities" in the country. The Business Insider places Baylor Law among the top 50 law schools in the nation. Baylor Law School received the 2015 American Bar Association Pro Bono Publico Award, making it only the third law school in the nation to be honored with the award since the award's inception in 1984. Learn more at baylor.edu/law.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.