DPSS News Nov 2020

ADOPTION MONTH IN NOVEMBER HIGHLIGHTS THE ADOPTION JOURNEYS OF DIVERSE FAMILIES AND CHILDREN

A seat will be permanently filled this year at Romney Snyder’s Thanksgiving table and the new mom says she has a lot to celebrate. She recently finalized adoption of her youngest son, Tyler, 16, who has Down Syndrome. He’s a beast of an athlete,” Snyder says of the bright-eyed teenage acrobat. “We say Tyler has “Get- Down Syndrome because he will dance to any music whether or not we can hear it.”

Snyder is among many parents helping to raise awareness during National Adoption Awareness Month; a time to highlight the diverse families that have grown through adoption. Spotlighting adoptive families offers an opportunity for advocates to highlight the hundreds of children in Riverside County who are waiting for loving and stable homes on any given day. Snyder says the Riverside County social workers who helped her finalize Tyler’s adoption were an incredible source of support and encouragement that made the process as seamless as possible. “Connecting them was an amazing experience,” recalls Snyder’s social worker, Vivian Dunipace. “Tyler was just glowing to have someone interested in him, paying attention to him and wanting to know him.” Snyder’s story of adoption dates to her childhood. By the time she was age 18, her parents fostered 86 children. Snyder knew she’d follow in their footsteps. Then, while volunteering to help foster children, Snyder had an experience that made her think seriously about providing a loving, permanent home through adoption. A 7-year-old boy shared his dream with her that “someday somebody’s going to pick me.” Snyder decided then to act. “I wanted at least one kid to know they had been picked,” she says. Snyder hopes her experiences will inspire others to become a forever family to children who need safe and loving homes. Currently, about 150 children are waiting to be adopted in Riverside County. Some of them are featured at heartgalleryriverside.org. “Now, I have a family because of adoption,” Snyder adds. Romney Snyder and her adopted son Tyler View Tyler’s acrobatic moves and learn more about his story later this month in a special video on the DPSS YouTube Channel. The video is in place of the in-person Adoption Finalization Day as Riverside County courts are closed to deter spread of coronavirus.

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