PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — November is National Adoption and Youth Homelessness Awareness Month.
On Friday, families gathered at the courthouse in Palm Beach County to welcome new members to their family.
Melissa Brouillette is passionate about helping foster children. The mom of eight, has four biological and four adopted children. She and her husband, decided to add another member to their family. She knew that adoption was right for her family after she volunteered at a group home. They adopted 1-year-old Amelia.
"While it is a beautiful day it comes from a place of so much brokenness. I wish that wasn't the story for her biological mom," Brouillette said. "Addiction is a very hard thing. I want to acknowledge that her mom chose life and I will forever be grateful for that."
Jeff DeMario is the chief financial officer for Vita Nova— a local non-profit that helps youth who are facing homelessness and those who have aged out of the foster system. The organization said hat youth homelessness is up 13% year over year in Palm Beach County. DeMario told WPTV that youth homeless numbers are on the rise.
"The statistic usually goes: every youth that reaches between the age of 13 to18, 1 in 10 get adopted. Those numbers are so low," he said. "What happens to the others that don't end up adopted?"
Young adults like Adolfo Recinos, ended up in foster care after his brother was put in jail. The brothers moved to Palm Beach County from Guatemala, Recinos recounted, never being legally adopted and experienced the brokenness first hand.
"I never expected to be adopted," he said. "I wish I could have stayed with my foster family longer."
Thanks to places like Vita Nova he has a place to live and is learning important life skills that are putting him on the path to success, despite his hardships in life.
For Brouillette and her growing family, she hopes that other parents consider adoption.
"Nothing in this world you can take with you when you die. This is not for me or my legacy. This child gets the opportunity to live a full life surrounded by people who love her, " she said. "You'll never regret having another child. She brings so much joy to all of our lives."
