Every year on Adoption Day, people are reminded that family doesn’t always mean the people you are born with. This year’s special day in Grand Rapids, Michigan, featured dozens of kids to be adopted and a very special kindergartner who invited his whole class to the hearing to celebrate finding his forever home.
Michael Orlando Clark Jr. is only 5 years old, but he had the amazing idea to bring the people he loves most, his kindergarten teacher, Kerry McKee, and his classmates to his big day.
Dad Dave Eaton explained, “We asked him [who wanted to attend] and he said, ‘You know, the class is kind of my family.’ And he wanted them to be there.” Student after student stood up to say how much they loved and appreciated him.
Judge Patricia Gardner, of the 17th Circuit Court Family Division, was also grateful for the class’ presence. She noted that for many adopted children, this might be the first real home they’ve had. “Sometimes their journeys have been very long,” she said to WZZM. “They’ve included miracle and change for the children and family and incredible community support as you’re able to see today in Michael’s adoption hearing.”
Judge Gardner, who often has to deal with results of dysfunctional families, was happy to take a moment to celebrate some that are going in the right direction. “His whole kindergarten class and school [was] here to say ‘we love you,’ and ‘we support you’ and ‘we’ll be here not only today but in all the years in the future.’”
For kindergarten teacher Kerry McKee, this was a chance to reinforce all the positive behaviors she has been teaching in class. “The lesson is put a little love in your heart. We rise when we support others,” she told WOOD. Michael didn’t have so many eloquent words, but the sentiment coming from him was just the same. “I love Mrs. McKee,” he said.
While Michael’s adoption got a lot of attention that day because of his whole class being there, there were 36 other children who found their forever homes in equally moving, if more sparsely attended, hearings. “On Adoption Day, there’s so many emotional stories of how children come to families,” Judge Gardner said.
As for Michael’s new parents, they wanted to use the spotlight to convince other would-be-parents to seriously consider adoption. They started by fostering Michael for a limited period but fell in love and just couldn’t let him go. They hope that will happen for the 4,000 to 5,000 children who are up for adoption in Michigan. “If it’s something that’s crossed your mind, you should consider it and get trained and just see what it’s all about,” mom Andrea Melvin said.
