Bulletin report
New Mexico’s Third Judicial District Court in Las Cruces officially observed National Adoption Day (NAD) 2022 with the adoptions of four children.
District Judge Grace B. Duran, who handles adoptions, child abuse and neglect cases, the juvenile delinquency docket and domestic relations cases for the Third Judicial District, united three families in a formal ceremony Nov. 9, the district court said in a news release .
“Not only is it pure joy and an emotional experience to form new families, it is a distinct advantage for the children to be adopted by qualified, loving and caring parents who pledge to raise them with security and stability,” Duran said.
“Adoptions also benefit society as a whole by reducing the number of neglected and abused children who would otherwise be deprived of the advantages of a proper bringing up,” the judge said.
Duran said there is no fee for adopting children through the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) and certain financial assistance is available. Other benefits of child adoption are fulfilling lifelong dreams of raising a child and experiencing the joy and blessing of adding a child to a family, she said.
CYFD oversees the state’s adoption program, the news release said.
According to CYFD, ‘When you adopt a child, you legally and emotionally accept a child not born to you into your family. Your adopted child has the same legal rights as a birth child and can bear your name. The adoption must be approved by a court of law. After it is approved, you will receive an official adoption decree and birth certificate with your name noted as the parent of your adopted child.’
Duran noted that adoptive parents can include same sex couples.
“I encourage all couples truly interested in adoption to follow their passion and hopefully make the dream of forming a new family come true,” Duran said.
Some of the steps and requirements for New Mexico residents to adopt a child, according to CYFD, include attending a local foster/adoption information meeting; filling out the application completely and providing personal references; getting a background check; attending 32 hours of required foster/adoptive parenting classes; and doing a home study with a social worker, which includes interviews with everyone in the household.
To adopt in New Mexico, CYFD said a person must be over the age of 18 with a home, mobile home or apartment which has adequate space for an adopted child or children; must have completed a medical exam conducted by the prospective parent’s own physician to ensure his or her good health; and must provide other documents as required.
The dreams of more than 75,000 children in foster care have come true as part of National Adoption Day events according to www.nationaladoptionday.org, the news release said.
Biographical information about children available for adoption and their photos, along with more information about adoption in New Mexico, is at https://heartgallerynm.org/.
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