In honor of National Adoption Month, San Bernardino County will be celebrating over 100 children who, come Tuesday, November 17, will each be given the gift of a new last name—and new family—as they transition from foster care to permanent adoption. This year’s theme for the adoption event overseen by the County’s Children and Family Services Department is “Family Pride” and, in fact, of the over 100 children being adopted, ages eight months to 16 years old, there are many sibling sets being adopted together; of these, there are 14 siblings sets of three and 16 sibling sets of two. In six years, Children and Family Services of San Bernardino County has facilitated over 2,700 adoptions, and, as expressed by Director DeAnna Avey-Motikeit, “Finding stability and permanence for the children in foster care is one of the department’s most important goals. The Adoption Finalization Event celebrates both the children and their adoptive families, as they legally become one. The true goal is met long before, when they become a family in their hearts. Although children benefit greatly from having a permanent family, it is usually the adoptive parents who believe they have received the greatest gift.” Tuesday’s adoption event, to be held at 12:15pm at the Ontario Convention Center, will include the County’s first-ever “Imagine Gallery.” Based on the theme “Imagine if every child had a family; imagine if that family was YOU,” life-sized posters of children waiting to be placed with an adoptive family will be on display. For more information on adoption, contact San Bernardino County Children’s Services at 800/722-4477.