14 children adopted in one day in Milwaukee County



MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- November 23rd is National Adoption Day. Milwaukee celebrated a day early in a big way. 14 children were all adopted into their new families on Friday, November 22nd.

“To see other people, who are going through the same thing you are, who are experiencing the same thing you are experiencing, such joy, we're all experiencing it at the same time so it’s a really neat event,” said Langston Verdin with Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

Hakeem Carlos Scott was adopted a few days earlier, on his 13th birthday, but he and his dad came back on Friday to celebrate with all of the other families.

“I feel kind of glad for them because they went through some rough times, and now they are with their new families,” said Hakeem.

Hakeem brought along one of his birthday gifts -- a new hat with his new initials engraved on it. He said it’s strange to get used to the new name, but he likes it. His dad Don on the other hand, has been used to the idea of Hakeem as his son for a while now -- since he first met him.

“Knowing what I could provide for him, knowing what his future is going to look like, knowing he will be a part of me and my family for the rest of his life, it's just joy,” said Don Carlos Scott.

Nine other families made the official adoption on Friday, adopting a total of 14 kids in one day. Three of those kids were siblings Zoey, Noah and Venner.

“To me to keep them together meant they will know each other and have each other,” said their adoptive mother Jan Calvin.

And now they don't just have each other, they have mom Jan, and a new big brother to lean on -- a 12-year-old that Jan adopted years before.

“It means the beginning of the rest of their lives,” said Jan Calvin.

The Calvins were the only 3 child family adopted Friday. Three other families adopted groups of two siblings.