Sally Schilling | Capital Public Radio
Adoptive parents, social workers and politicians were among the people gathered on the steps of the State Capitol Thursday to read the names of every California foster child awaiting adoption.
Sacramento Mayor Elect Darryl Steinberg was one of the people who came to read from the thick binder containing 39,000 names.
"I was thinking as I was reading the name, who is this child?” Steiberg said. “They all have a name, they all have a history."
This "Calling Out of Names" event is held each year during National Adoption Awareness Month. Former Director of Families Now Gail Johnson Vaughan founded the event 28 years ago. She says it's partly about busting myths surrounding adoption.
"Many people assume that they couldn't adopt for any number of reasons,” Johnson Vaughan says. “Perhaps they're single, well you can adopt if you're single. Perhaps they live in a modest apartment, well of course you can adopt if they live in a modest apartment."
Johnson Vaughan says they couldn't get through the names of all the kids during the six and a half hour program.
Follow us for more stories like this
CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you. As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.
Donate Today