November is adoption month nationwide and Tuesday marked the first official adoption day in Hidalgo County.
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services is helping children find forever families and on Tuesday five RGV children became an official family.
The holidays will be a special time of year for these families, they walked into the 430th District Court room with foster children and walked out with their own.
Sam and Carina Saenc say it's been a long three year process making Angelina an official member of their family.
"It’s a long journey but it’s a very rewarding journey toward the end,” Carina said. “It was well worth it to have this beautiful little girl."
CPS adoption specialist Jennifer Denise Marta says this is the day some of the families anticipate for years.
"This is what the children are looking for, this is their goal, this is for us and the families their holiday, their family is coming together and made whole,” Marta said. “This is the happy ending."
"It’s a day of joy and happiness and just bringing us together it’s a great feeling, a great moment,” Sam said.
But for the Saenc family and the other couples joining them Tuesday, receiving the official signature that makes their child theirs is not an easy process.
"It was long, it’s a procedure that makes sure everything is done correctly but it was well worth it,” Sam said.
While Marta is happy for these families, her job is not done. 359 children in south Texas are still looking for families.
"All of them want to be adopted we just need to find the perfect fit for them,” Marta said.
Marta says there has been an increase in the number of foster families wanting to adopt their foster children.
While more days like today will come, it will take time.
Next year CPS hopes to have an adoption day in both Cameron County and Willacy County as well.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKGBT