On the second floor of the Montgomery County Courts building, there were balloons and cupcakes. There were also a few happy tears, but it was mostly smiles at the Montgomery County Probate Court.
In a packed courtroom, families and friends cheered and clapped as eight children were adopted into their forever homes.
Adoption hearings aren’t typically open to the public, unless by order of the court or the adopting parents consent to holding a public case, according to probate court Judge David Brannon.
Brannon said opening adoption hearings to the public serves as an educational experience for some that might not know how the process works otherwise.
“I think it’s wonderful when the families consent so that it allows others to participate and experience just a little bit of the adoption proceedings.” Brannon said.
David and Amy Dobson of Centerville were there, adopting their seventh child, Nevaeh. The couple has adopted four children in the past. David Dobson said it just feels natural to bring more children into their family.
“I just believe that we felt like there was a need and we felt like there was a little bit of a calling to just do that,” Dobson said “And it’s been a fantastic journey for ourselves. It's been fantastic for our families as well.”
More than 9,000 children in Ohio live with a foster family, according to the Ohio Office of Family and Children. Brannon said being adopted by a family is an act that might change the world for a child.
“The amount of people that are impacted by somebody who knows somebody or has a direct link to an adoption is incredible,” Brannon said. “The adoption process works when they're treated as if they’re family and nobody even thinks about the whole process and the trouble that they went through to finally get to that happy ending.”
As for the Dobsons, they said sometimes the process can be overwhelming, but in the end, they find it rewarding knowing they’ve welcomed a child into a loving home.
