A Dayton, Ohio couple has formally adopted the six foster children they have raised for more than four years, finalizing the adoption Monday in a Montgomery County courtroom.
Kevin and Jennifer Kremer appeared before Judge David Brannon in Probate Court to complete the adoption, according to Dayton 24/7 Now and WHIO. The timing coincided with National Adoption Day, a nationwide effort to draw attention to the thousands of children in foster care who need permanent homes.
Jennifer Kremer said the family’s commitment to the children was never in question. “We’ve wanted them around since the day we met them. So, I mean, we have always known since they came that we would be with them as long as they needed us to be,” she said.
Kevin Kremer described the day as the culmination of years of caring for the children as foster parents. “I’m just happy to give them their forever home. We love them with all our hearts; they’ve been in our home, now it’s forever,” he said.
A photo from the courtroom shows the family together in matching jerseys to mark the occasion.
Judge Brannon marked the finalization in a social media post, writing, “Congratulations to the Kremer Family that finalized their adoption in Probate Court!!!” and noting that it fell on National Adoption Day.
Montgomery County Commissioner Mary McDonald attended the proceeding and spoke about her own experience with the foster-to-adopt process. “I adopted a child. I started off being a foster parent and grew in the process and fell in love with the process of being a part of Montgomery County, and I eventually adopted my son, and we’ve had the most wonderful experience not only working with the county but just knowing that we have the child that we wanted to be our very own and he is a part of our lives. So I’m excited to be here today,” she said.
The Kremers have encouraged others considering fostering or adoption to pursue it, pointing to their own experience of turning a temporary foster placement into a permanent family of eight.
