‘Open your heart:’ 16 children in Jacksonville join their forever families on National Adoption Day

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — National Adoption Day was celebrated in Jacksonville on Wednesday, with 16 children being officially adopted at the Duval County Courthouse -- all of them joining permanent, loving homes.

Action News Jax’s Shanila Kabir spoke to some of those adoptive parents, who said their holiday celebrations will now be complete.

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There was not a dry eye in the courtroom after more than a dozen adoptive parents took in new family members.

Victoria and Troy Sapp formally adopted 2-year-old Maya Chanel Sapp after fostering her since she was an infant. They said Maya has been living in their home since she was 4 months old.

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“All you have to do is open your heart and open your doors and give them the love they are actually looking for,” said Victoria Sapp.

The Sapp family said they adopted Maya’s older brother not too long ago, and now their family is complete right before Thanksgiving.

Another parent, Denise Wai Wai Ole adopted her three young grandsons, two 4-year-old twins and a toddler.

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“One of them started calling me mommy suddenly. I guess he knows now I’m mommy and this is how it’s going to be,” she said.

Wai Wai Ole said she is looking forward to bringing her grandchildren stability and keeping them all in one home.

“There’s been times that Jason has asked me, ‘Mimi are you always going to come back for me?’ Now, he knows for sure I’m going to be there,” she said.

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Leaders from Family Support Services said more than 360 children in Duval and Nassau counties are ready to be adopted right now. They add they have been beyond successful this year at putting children in loving homes and keeping siblings together in their new homes.

Their next informational event for potential foster and adoptive parents is December 10.

For more information about how to foster or adopt a local child in care, go to familysupport.org or Facebook.com/fssjax for more information.

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