Family Court Judge Susan Dobrich, right, finalized James and Kimberly Johnson’s adoption of their granddaughter, Olivia, on Tuesday, designated across the state as Michigan Adoption Day.

Six adoptions finalized

Published 10:28pm Tuesday, November 22, 2011
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CASSOPOLIS — Six adoptions finalized Tuesday afternoon in Cass County Family Court will provide eight children with permanent homes just in time for Thanksgiving.
n Charles and Maria Rankens of Dowagiac adopted their granddaughters, Belinda and Analyssa.
n Ernest and Tammy Macon of Portage
adopted 10-month-old Leah Gabrielle.
“Our biological children are grown. We
have grandchildren,” Tammy Macon said.
“She’ll have all of our undivided attention.”
n Olivia Diana joins the James and Kimberly
Johnson family of Niles. She turns 2 on Christmas
Eve.
“It’s a great day, but at the same time a
bittersweet day for us,” Kimberly Johnson said,
because Olivia is their granddaughter.
n William and Heather Merrill of Edwardsburg added
Navaya and Yessenia to their three children for a total
of five. Heather Merrill, a Dowagiac graduate, works for
Lewis Cass Intermediate School District.
n Robert and Susan Menzel Jr. of St. Johns opened their hearts
to Erika, who will grow up with four older brothers. She has been
part of the Menzel’s family for 11 months and five days, since Dec. 17, 2010.
Nov. 22 was Michigan Adoption Day, which has been observed for nine years in Cass County Judge Susan Dobrich’s courtroom.
Statewide, about 30 counties finalized about 145 adoptions.
Michigan’s event is poised to be the nation’s largest.
It is co-sponsored by the Michigan Supreme Court, the Michigan Department of Human Services and the Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange.
In designating Nov. 22 as Michigan Adoption Day, the Supreme Court declared the event’s goal is “to draw attention to children and youth in foster care, particularly their need for permanent, loving families, and also to promote efforts to help those who remain in foster care.”
There are about 3,000 children in the foster care system with the goal of adoption.

The goal of Michigan’s Adoption Services Program is to place children in adoptive homes as quickly as possible following termination of parental rights due to child abuse or neglect.
There are about 14,000 children in the foster care system.
There are about 2,900 children whose parents’ rights have been terminated and have adoption as a goal.
More than 2,400 children were adopted through DHS and private adoption agencies in fiscal year 2011, most by a relative or foster parent.
Children in foster care as of Sept. 30:
2006 — 18,414
2007 — 18,943
2008 — 18,016
2009 — 16,115
2010 — 15,250
2011 — 14,284

Licensed foster homes in Michigan as of Sept. 30:
2006 — 7,292
2007 — 6,999
2008 — 6,530
2009 — 6,833
2010 — 7,166
2011 — 7,264

New foster home licenses issued each calendar year:
2006 — 1,556
2007 — 1,366
2008 — 1,345
2009 — 2,156
2010 — 2,013
2011 — 1,820*

* Through October 2011

Number of adoptions from foster care each fiscal year:
2006 — 2,589
2007 — 2,602
2008 — 2,722
2009 — 3,030
2010 — 2,612
2011 — 2,426**

** Through Sept. 30, 2011; final data available January 2012

Source: Michigan Department
of Human Services

Celebrities adopted
Many notable personalities were products of adoption.
n First ladies Eleanor Roosevelt and Nancy Reagan
n Playwright Edward Albee, who visited Dowagiac in Octo      ber 1998
n Naturalist John J. Audubon
n Sen. Robert Byrd
n Singers Sarah
McLachlan, Debbie Harry
and Nat King Cole
n Actresses Marilyn
Monroe, Melissa
Gilbert and Priscilla
Presley
n Figure skater Scott
Hamilton
n Actor Ted Danson
n Pro footballer Eric
Dickerson;
n Presidential
candidate Newt
Gingrich
n Television host Art
Linkletter
n Author James
Michener
n Pitcher Jim Palmer
n Tom Monaghan,
founder of Domino’s
Pizza and former owner
of the Detroit Tigers

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