MSU professor is keynote speaker at Third Circuit Court ceremony

The Third Circuit Court celebrates National Adoption Day today. John Seita, Michigan State University professor and nationally acclaimed editor of "Growing Up in the Care of Strangers," a publication which chronicles the lives of successful professionals who grew up in the foster care system will be this year's keynote speaker. Knowing what it is like to grow up in foster care, Dr. Seita at the age of 8, was removed from his mother's home and spent the remainder of his childhood in 15 out-of-home placements. Turning his aggression into action, Dr. Seita beat the odds and went on to establish the John Seita Scholars Program at Western Michigan University. Dr. Seita will discuss the importance of education so that adults are better able to connect with challenged young people and can assist foster youth in the transition into adulthood through the experience of higher education. Two children that have been in the Michigan foster care system will also share their touching stories. As a young person in the foster care system, Orlando Mitchell went AWOL to care for his mother who had terminal cancer. Orlando turned himself back in after his mother passed. Now 19 years old, Orlando has turned his life around and is currently attending Kalamazoo Community College. He hopes to be accepted as a Seita Scholar and transfer to Western Michigan University. Eleven-year-old Garrick Johnson was recently adopted out of the foster care system. Garrick has cerebral palsy, and while this is a challenge, he will tell of the amazing difference it makes to have a family believe in you. National Adoption Day is a collective national effort to raise awareness of the 123,000 children in foster care waiting to find permanent loving families. Between 2000 and 2009, more than 30,000 children were joined together with forever families as part of National Adoption Day activities. Michigan alone has 16,000 children that live away from their birth families and are in substitute care. The majority of these young people will eventually return to their homes, but for others, returning to their birth family is not an option. There are approximately 5,200 children in Michigan where adoption is the goal. "We are so thankful for all of the families that have adopted or are considering adoption," said Judge Mary Beth Kelly. "The average child waits for an adoptive family for over two years and more than 29,000 children nationwide reach the age of 18 without ever finding a forever family. Our nation has a great need to find permanent loving families for these children." While adoption proceedings are typically closed to the public, as part of the court's participation in National Adoption Day, the public has the opportunity to observe the proceedings. The program will begin at 10 a.m. Anyone interested in adopting a child may contact MARE at (800) 589-6273 or visit their Web site at http://www.mare.org Published: Tue, Nov 23, 2010

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