HOUSTON—David and Christine Cutler stood before a Harris County judge on the 7th floor of the Juvenile Justice Center Friday morning. It’s a location where you don’t often here laughter and applause. But on the eve of National Adoption Day, applause, laughter, and tears were definitely in order.
The Cutlers are schoolteachers who couldn’t have children of their own. But Friday, their fortunes and the lives of three young children changed for good.
“We said we’d take anything but we wanted two boys and a girl,” said Christine Cutler. “And then we found these guys and that’s exactly what we got. They’re perfect for us.”
The Cutlers adopted a young girl and her two brothers. They were among 60 children adopted by Houston families during a mass adoption celebration to highlight National Adoption Month. In the greater Houston area, there are more than 1,700 children supervised by Child Protective Services who are waiting for an adoptive home. Nationwide, the number of children waiting for adoption tops 129,000.
Sophia Davis-Fields has six adopted children. She is also the CEO of the Houston adoption agency Forever Families. So, what’s her message on the eve of National Adoption Day?
“There are more moms and dads that need to be adoptive parents. More people need to get involved. You don’t have to have a big house. You don’t have to have a lot of money in your bank account. But you do have to have a big heart.”
973 children under CPS supervision were adopted last year in the greater Houston area. The biggest needs are for families willing to adopt older children between the ages of six and 16. And 72 percent of the children waiting for adoption are part of a sibling group. Adoptions like the one finalized by David and Christine Cutler help keep family groups together.
“Despite the tragedies that always unfold in these courts, this is truly always the happiest day of the year,” Judge Michael Schneider told 11 News after the adoption celebration.
It’s a happiest day of the year that thousands of waiting children hope will eventually come for them too.
