November 18, 2010

THE NASSAU COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES TO PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL ADOPTION DAY

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano announced today that the Nassau County Department of Social Services and Nassau County Family Court in partnership with the Long Island Children’s Museum will be participating in National Adoption Day on Monday, November 22, 2010, by finalizing the adoptions of eighteen children in foster care, making a total of 28 Nassau County adoptions in 2010. The ceremony will take place at the Long Island Children’s Museum, Garden City, NY, beginning at 10:00 AM. Following the ceremony, a reception will be held for families finalizing adoptions, as well as families who have adopted during the year.

November is recognized as National Adoption Month. The purpose of National Adoption Month is to focus attention on children in the Child Welfare system that are in foster care and freed, waiting to be adopted.

“This is a wonderful and inspiring celebration. Nassau County is dedicated to building and strengthening our families. We are devoted to ensuring every child freed for adoption has a permanent, loving family. Our goal is a family for every child. We are fortunate to have a number of foster and adoptive families who want to provide children in foster care with permanence,” said County Executive Ed Mangano.

“The Family Court of Nassau County is proud to join with other jurisdictions across the United States in support of National Adoption Day,” added Supervising Judge Hope Schwartz Zimmerman.

“The Long Island Children’s Museum is also pleased to be able to host this wonderful event, “stated Suzanne LeBlanc, Executive Director of the Long Island Children’s Museum. “ As an environment that celebrates family time and engaging parent/child interaction, we are delighted to provide these ‘newly formed’ families with their first ‘family outing’.” LICM will also provide each new family with a complimentary year-long membership to the Museum.

“This is our ninth successive year participating in National Adoption Day,” added Social Services Commissioner John E. Imhof. “Since celebrating this day in 2002, we finalized a total of 163 children during the last eight Adoption Day celebrations. We continue to work hard to find nurturing and loving foster and adoptive parents for every child who cannot be reunited with their families in Nassau County. I encourage anyone who may be interested in fostering or adopting to call the Department of Social Services Foster and Adoptive Resource unit, at 516-227-8279 for further information.”