Weld County recognizes National Adoption Day and Month
Published on November 04, 2025
During the first board meeting of November, the Weld County Board of Commissioners honored adoptive families, and the county employees who advocate for the placement of children and youth in permanent, safe, and loving homes with proclamations for Adoption Month and Adoption Day.
Adoption Month, which is recognized nationally in November, is a time to raise awareness of adoption as a means of permanency and celebrate the families who have grown through adoption.
“The primary goal of foster care is to reunify children and youth with their parents, but when reunification isn’t possible, the secondary goal is to secure a permanent home through adoption or other long-term arrangement,” said Jamie Ulrich, Weld County Department of Human Services (DHS) Director. “In Weld County, many of those children are adopted by relatives, close family, friends or their foster parents.”
This year marks the 25th anniversary of Adoption Day, which brings together judicial partners, community organizations, adoptive and extended families to celebrate adoption finalizations.
“This special occasion represents a joyful milestone for children and families throughout the community,” Ulrich said. “We plan on finalizing approximately 17 adoptions at this year’s National Adoption Day hearings. By the end of 2025, 32 adoptions will be finalized this year in Weld County.”
DHS employees work year-round to support adoptive families through post-adoption supportive services, known as Family Forever. Any family who has adopted children and resides in Weld County, or who have adopted from the Weld County Child Welfare system and live elsewhere, are eligible to receive Family Forever services, which they may opt into at any time.
“Families created through adoption aren’t defined by blood, but through love and commitment,” said Lynette Peppler, Commissioner Coordinator for DHS. “These are the families built by choice – by parents choosing to provide permanency and stability, which makes an immeasurable difference for a child’s future.”
For more information about Family Forever, visit https://www.weld.gov/Government/Departments/Human-Services/Support-My-Family/Children-and-Family/Post-Adoption-Resources.
To learn more about providing a safe and supportive home as a foster parent, visit www.weld.gov/go/fostercare.