CASSOPOLIS — Three of the four types of adoptions were represented in Cass County Family Court Tuesday afternoon during the eighth annual Adoption Day before Probate Judge Susan Dobrich.

“Our goal is to make sure our children have a safe, permanent environment so they can grow up to be healthy adults who can contribute to our society,” Dobrich said after finalizing adoptions for James and Gail Rosenthal of Dowagiac (Aiden Robert, 4 in December, a step-parent adoption), Hillary and Bryan DuFour of Edwardsburg (Brady, 6 1/2 months, a direct placement at birth) and Charity and Jeff Hackett of Eau Claire (Melody, 8, an agency adoption that originated with the Department of Human Services).

“We were fortunate that from April to June, Melody spent every weekend with us, getting to know our family and kids, the house and farm, how to get dirty and play in mud and how to swim in a water tank with my daughter,” Charity said.

“I’ve had an opportunity to review the court file and the adoption home study,” the judge said, “and I know that not only has Melody found a wonderful home, but they have found a wonderful little girl. Adoptions come in different forms,” of which the fourth is international adoption.

Dobrich offered an upbeat poem, “Happy Adoption Day,” which said, in part, “We had a voice and we had a choice and we were working and waiting for you … out of a world so tattered and torn, you came to our house on that wonderful morn and all of a sudden a family was born…”

Each family receives a cake personalized by Family Fare in Dowagiac emblematic of celebrating a new family forming.

There are also plush Tommy Mooses donated by Moose Lodge 933 in Dowagiac.

Dobrich questioned each pair of parents under oath before a packed courtroom where even the jury box was full to be certain it was their own  well-thought-out decision to seek adoption, whether anyone promised them anything or coerced them in any way before they layer legal responsibility over acceptance of providing for the child’s full support, including educational and medical needs and emotional well-being.

If something unfortunate happened to their spouse, it would be their full responsibility to raise the child, the judge stated, along with, “Once we finalize this today, it will not be reversed.” Finally, “Do you love?” the child.

Chris Kadulski, retiring as Cass County DHS director, said, “This is always such a wonderful day because of all the children we have in care, permanency is really the goal. That’s what we look for, so children can have a permanent home, a permanent family. This is the end of the road and it’s nice to be able to participate in that. Last year, DHS, through the courts, there were 2,900 adoptions. Right now, 3,500 children are eligible and waiting for adoption” in Michigan.

Tamela Phillips, former Cass DHS adoption specialist, now is with Bethany Christian Services of Kalamazoo.

“It’s just a wonderful thing to be part of a forever family, or to help make that happen,” said Phillips. “I’m here today to talk about foster care recruitment. We are in such need of foster homes. Whether you’d like to become licensed for DHS or private agencies, we are a team that works collaboratively and we work very closely with the court.”

Phillips knows Faith and Mike Cameron, both 50, who were featured at Adoption Day 2005.

The Niles couple, who met in a church youth group at 17, always talked about taking a cruise for their 25th wedding anniversary. Instead, they piled their burgeoning second family into a camper bound for Brown County, Ind.

“We’ve been doubly blessed,” Faith said. “We had three children the easy way and seven came to us through the state. Each child adds a completely new dimension to our lives. We have kids who came at older ages and created different kinds of challenges. We had babies come with extreme medical issues. We’ve had wonderful opportunities to invest in the lives of children.”

“When we started talking about adoption,” Mrs. Cameron said, “the little girl we had our eyes on was 4 years old. We thought she was beautiful and we just couldn’t imagine life without her. That kind of started the ball rolling in ’01. We felt like it wouldn’t be fair to her to raise her as a little diva in the midst of the older kids, so my husband suggested foster care. I thought, no way, I couldn’t watch kids disappear out of my life after loving them. But we found out that you can. There is life after children are reunited with families and there are other children who needed us.

“The exciting part was watching kids with special needs grow up to be pretty doggone normal. They all have tremendous potential. I told some of my older kids, ‘You had really horrible pasts. When you came to use, life was shaky and you were very wounded and abused in some cases, but you all have great futures.’

“Investing in them made such a difference in our lives,” Faith said. “As people, we’re fuller, more sensitive and much kinder for being involved in the lives of these children God brought us.”

Dobrich also introduced Jim Ward, director of CASA, Court-Appointed Special Advocates, whose volunteers provided refreshments.

“We’re very honored we had the opportunity to advocate for these children and these families,” said Ward, who shared a poem, “I Am a Voice,” by a Dallas CASA volunteer.

“Actually, we’ve had five other adoptions that took place throughout this calendar year and six children we were able to find safe, permanent and loving homes for throughout 2010.”

“In the dark labyrinth of bureaucracy, I am a way through, a steady arm around a shoulder, a calming voice in the ear,” Ward read, “for while my appointment may come from the court, my calling comes from within.”

CASA Rose King of Union shared her experiences as a foster parent and mother of six adoptive children who have given her six grandchildren. She and Bob have been married almost 43 years.

“In the first years of our marriage there was nothing I wanted more than to have a birth child. We were living in Elkhart County and I prayed and prayed about that, but it didn’t happen,” King said. “A commercial came on TV advertising for foster homes. I thought even if our children came to us temporarily, we’d no longer have empty arms.

“Over time my prayers drastically changed. I used to pray about having a baby of my own. As we adopted foster children, I began thanking God for not giving me birth children because I could not imagine having any children other than the ones I had. Even when we went through tough times with our foster children, I’d always keep in mind that of all the homes they could have come to, they came to ours. If God brought them to us, He’s going to give me the strength I need to do what’s right for my children. Or, maybe, He brought them to us because I’m very stubborn and He knew I wouldn’t give up.”

King continued, “The six kids range in age from 42 down to my baby, 16, who’s back here. I have four sons and two daughters. Like a lot of adoptive families, I have a rainbow family of four Caucasian children and two mixed children. All of the flowers in my garden are beautiful colors. Three came to us as newborns, healthy and strong. Three came through the foster care system. My oldest son came at 6” after multiple placements and “severe emotional and physical abuse and neglect. As a young adult he was diagnosed as bipolar. My two youngest came at 2 years of age each,” also from abusive backgrounds.

Intellectually, she has children who are bright, “very normal” and two “differently abled. One has mild to moderate learning disabilities. One has severe learning disabilities and is mildly autistic,” King said.

“As a family we’ve climbed mountains of joy and pride in our children, but we’ve also walked through valleys of tears, frustration and pain. More than a few times — and I hate to admit this — Bob and I have been humiliated by some of the stunts our kids have pulled over the years, but most of the time I think our family is pretty normal, if not quite the Waltons.

“We had a pastor friend who used to come to our house and stay for about a week. Without fail, before the end of the week he’d say, ‘I’ve got sermon material for the next six months.’

“My family is not perfect. We have our ups and downs, but we’re very bonded. If you insult one of us, you’ve slapped the face of all of us. Whether we’re climbing that mountain or whether we’re walking through that valley of tears, there’s always the one common bond of love.”

Adoption “is nothing to be leery of or afraid of,” said King, who read Bible scripture from Psalms 138. “Each adoption represents the beginning of a family and the security of a forever family for a once vulnerable child. Adopted children are not flesh of our flesh or bone of our bone, but God makes no junk.”

Chief Assistant Prosecutor Frank Machnik said, “The theme here is happy endings — something we don’t always get to see presenting cases. We deal with some bad things, so I’m so happy to be here and see smiling faces. Whatever worth having is worth working for, and these happy endings don’t come without challenges. Families are worth working for because families are worth having.”

Kelly Howard represented the Michigan Supreme Court.

“I’m in the central policy office,” she said, “so this is very exciting for me to be here. I don’t get to see this very often.”

Family Court Referee Leigh Feldman commented, “I get to see the cases when they first come in and the rough starts a lot of these families have before extremely happy endings.”

Dobrich also introduced Friend of the Court Roland Fancher and, from the Board of Commissioners, Chairman Robert Ziliak of Milton Township, Johnie Rodebush of Howard Township and Gordon Bickel Sr. of Porter Township.

Cass, one of 29 participating counties, has been part of Adoption Day since its inception.