National Adoption Day was Saturday, November 23, and 30 children were joined with their forever families in Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties in Central Florida .
Each newly-adopted child also received a Duffy Bear during the adoption ceremony. The children – ranging in age from toddlers to teens – hugged their bears as the judge officially announced the families.
The Walt Disney World Resort has provided nearly 1,300 Duffy Bears to Community Based Care in the past two years. The agency oversees foster care and adoption services in Central Florida and each child who enters the foster system or gets adopted receives a bear.
The organization says the bears have a positive effect on the children.
“Disney has been such a great support of our organization,” said Karla Radka, vice president of community impact and leadership development for Community Based Care. “The Duffy Bears are a forever memory each child will have to remember this special day when they joined their forever family.”
