- December 13, 2025
Anita Rivera, of Flagler County, adopted brothers Matthew and Nelson. Photo by Sierra Williams
Judge Joan Anthony with the Jackson family and newly-adopted baby Alia Jackson. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Moore family and Judge Randall Daugustinis celebrate the adoption of baby Canaan Moore. Photo by Sierra Williams
Allison and Benjamin Tackett (center) holding their newly adopted son, Bryan, around family. Photo by Sierra Williams
Judge Joan Anthony with the Hanley family and newly adopted Leo Hanley (center). Photo by Sierra Williams
The Thomas family celebrates the adoption of Corey Thomas with Judge Robert Pickens III. Photo by Sierra Williams
Catalina was adopted by her great aunt, Lucy Goodwin, pictured with family and Judge Joan Anthony. Photo by Sierra Williams
The judges that participated in the adoption event. From left to right: Volusia County Judge Joan Anthony, Volusia Judge Robert Pickens III, Volusia Judge Randall Daugustinis, Volusia Judge Lauren Blocker and Flagler County Judge Christopher France. Photo by Sierra Williams
Anita Rivera with her newly adopted sons Matthew and Nelson and Flagler County Judge Christopher France. Photo by Sierra Williams
The Hanley family adopted Leo Hanley. Photo by Sierra Williams
Corey (center) agrees to be adopted by Grace Thomas (right) and become Corey Thomas. Photo by Sierra Williams
Baby Bryan was adopted by Allison and Benjamin Tackett. Photo by Sierra Williams
Alia Jackson, surrounded by her other children and extended family, adopts baby Alia. Photo by Sierra Williams
Cher and Jeremiah Moore adopted baby Canaan. Photo by Sierra Williams
Eight children from Volusia and Flagler counties were legally joined to their forever families at a National Adoption Day celebration at the Hard Rock in Daytona Beach on Nov. 21.
The event was hosted by Community Partnership for Children, and all eight children were in the local foster care system. Five Circuit Court judges presided over the event: Christopher France, Joan Anthony, Robert Pickens III, Lauren P. Blocker, and Randall A. Daugustinis.
The kids adopted on Nov. 22 ranged in age from an infant to a teenager. Parent Jeremiah Moore said adopting Cairo was “not just an adoption, this is a completion of what God has promised us.”
CPC is the lead nonprofit that cares for abused, neglected, and abandoned children in Volusia, Flagler, and Putnam counties. CEO Karin Flositz said 52 children in the Circuit Court are in need of forever homes, and the CPC also needs volunteers.
“The purpose of today is to not only celebrate the families that have chosen adoption and find their forever families,” Flositz said, “but also to highlight the fact that there are 52 children out there who need a permanent adoptive family of their own.”
The CPC does its best to reunite children with their biological parents, but, Flositz said, it is not always possible, and the group moves forward with terminating parental rights and finding foster homes and then adoptive families for the children.
At least one of the children was adopted by their biological aunt at the event, but the others were adopted by foster parents.
“There is an urgent need for more foster and adoptive parents to care for our wonderful children, teens and groups of siblings,” Flositz said. “You can make a difference for a lifetime.”
To learn more about foster care and adoption, visit CommunityPartnershipForChildren.org or call CPC at (386) 238-4900.
“Kids come into our system every day,” Flositz said. “So it’s a constant moving target about the number of families that we need.”
Anyone can become a foster parent, she said, as long as that person is over 21, can manage a household and does not have a criminal background.
“Your relationship status, your job, none of that really matters,” Flositz said, “as long as your heart is open to care for kids who need you.”
