The county of Cabarrus celebrated Adoption Day this month, with festivities taking place at Providence Baptist Church in Harrisburg, which included an array of family-friendly activities and recognition for 12 families who recently opened their homes and hearts through adoption, according to Cabarrus County. Among those celebrated was Sara Moss and her adopted daughter, Chloe, who, after growing up in an unstable situation, can now live out her dream of being a cheerleader, "She is so happy to be able to do something that we all take for granted," Moss told Cabarrus County.
During the Adoption Day event, which aimed to spread joy, hope, and gratitude for the bonds formed through adoption, Candyce Davis, the Department of Social Services (DSS) Supervisor, greeted families with words of encouragement and the assistant county manager, Aalece Pugh highlighted the individual stories behind the stark statistics of children in foster care and asked the community to consider becoming foster parents or supporting foster families. As of October, DSS statistics showed Cabarrus had 43 licensed foster parents and 177 children needing care with some having been in the system almost a decade and the average stay ranging from two to three years, revealing a significant demand for more caring homes.
A poignant moment of the Adoption Day celebration featured Judge Beth Street presenting families with a plaque and a plush toy as tangible acknowledgment of their commitment to the adopted children, the county's article detailed. In a bid to spread awareness and acknowledge the crucial role of adoptive families, DSS officials also made an appearance at the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting where they presented a proclamation in recognition of Adoption Day and shared a video from the event, which included footage of Sara Moss.
Fostering is not only about providing safe, temporary homes for children separated from their biological families due to unfortunate circumstances, like abuse, neglect, or dependency, but it also about the transformation it brings to the foster families as well, with Moss stating, "Chloe 'is an amazing child and I can’t imagine our lives without her.'," and the county offers a 10-week, state-guided program to license new foster families though what remains clear is the ongoing need for more individuals to step forward, the heart of every child's story is the yearning for connection and belonging, a call to action the county hopes will resonate within the community.
