Nearly two dozen kindergartners gave testimonials in a Michigan courtroom about how much they loved the soon-to-be-adopted boy.
The 5-year-old boy, wearing a blue vest and a maroon bow tie, sat on a swivel chair in front of a judge as his kindergarten classmates filled two rows of courtroom seats behind him.
The students held rulers adorned with paper hearts — the theme being “love rules.”
The boy, Michael Clark Jr., was one of 36 children to be adopted on Thursday during Kent County’s 23rd annual adoption day in Grand Rapids, Mich.
Twenty-one kindergartners and several parents, teachers and school administrators attended Michael’s hearing, said Carlye Allen, the principal of Wealthy Elementary School, where Michael is a student.
This young boy invited all his teachers and classmates to this special day and the Judge asked all the people in the courtroom to stand up and say what they loved or appreciated about Michael.
One boy declared, “Michael is my best friend.” Another child stood and said, “I love Michael.” David Eaton, Michael’s adoptive father, said he started tearing up listening to the children’s testimonials.
Mr. Eaton said. “He felt like a king of a castle on that day, just loving it.” After the official documents were signed, the kindergartners waved their handmade heart signs in the air.
They were bumping in their seats with excitement, and all the adults were “extremely emotional,” Ms. Allen said. “I think he understands that this means he has a permanent home now,” Mr. Eaton said. “He’s not going to be taken away.”
When the courts decided in the spring to terminate the parental rights of Michael’s birth parents, Mr. Eaton and Ms. Melvin started considering adoption.
Ms. Melvin told Michael’s kindergarten teacher, Kerry McKee, about the adoption at the end of October. Ms. McKee began discussing a potential field trip to the courthouse with Ms. Allen.
The trip would be a way for the 5- and 6-year-olds to learn more about their community and open up conversations about adoption, Ms. Allen said.
“After thinking about it, there was no way we couldn’t go,” Ms. Allen said. By the time the final date and time of the hearing were set, the school had about a week to prepare.
One parent volunteered to pay for a bus to shuttle the students to and from the courthouse, which was about 20 minutes away.
The bus company said it needed at least two weeks’ notice to provide a vehicle but made one available at the last minute when it heard what it was for.
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