On Thursday, November 15, 2018, the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County will celebrate diversity in adoptions during its annual National Adoption Day ceremony. The event will be held at the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, 14735 Main St., Upper Marlboro, Md. in Courtroom M3400 at 10:30 a.m. Presiding will be the Honorable Sheila R. Tillerson Adams, Administrative Judge of the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County, the Honorable Beverly J. Woodard and the Honorable DaNeeka Varner Cotton.  

This year’s keynote speaker will be Ms. Barbara Harrison, NBC 4 Anchor. As a noted journalist and adoption advocate, Ms. Harrison is nationally renowned for creating the segment, Wednesday’s Child, which highlights the importance of adoption and applauds the successes of adoptive families. Her features have served as a platform and support system for many new and prospective families.

“I’m elated to celebrate the beauty of families during the National Adoption Day ceremony,” says the Honorable Sheila R. Tillerson Adams, Administrative Judge of the Circuit Court for Prince George’s County. “This ceremony truly reflects the love and joy a child can bring to one’s heart and home. I would like to thank Judge Woodard and her amazing team for spearheading this memorable event.”

During the ceremony, two families will share their adoption stories. Charles and DaRel Barksdale adopted a baby boy in July 2018. As a single mother, Monica Spruill, adopted Aspen Arielle Lewis. Subsequently, she married Darryl Spruill, who in September 2018, adopted Aspen Arielle Lewis-Spruill to become a forever family. The couple also adopted a younger child. 

National Adoption Day, which formally became National Adoption Awareness Month in November 1995, “is a collective national effort to raise awareness of the more than 110,000 children in foster care waiting to find permanent, loving families. In 2016, approximately 4,700 children were adopted by their forever families during the 17th annual National Adoption Day celebration in more than 400 cities across the United States,” according to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

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