OKLAHOMA CAPITOL --- Oklahoma Secretary of State Susan Savage and Oklahoma Secretary of Human Services Howard H. Hendrick will join hundreds of adoptive families and child welfare professionals from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 8 on the second floor of the State Capitol Rotunda to celebrate Adoption Awareness Month.

Awards will be given for Adoptive Family of the Year and Adoption Advocate of the Year as well as awards for Oklahoma Adoption Excellence, Community Partnership, Lifetime Achievement, Cooperative Spirit and other special recognitions. There will be a small reception following the ceremony.

In fiscal year 2005, 1,151 children were placed in trial adoptive homes in Oklahoma and 1,004 adoptions were finalized. But there are still more than 1,100 children in state custody with the goal of adoption. Many of these children have brothers and sisters and need to be placed in homes where they can grow up together.

For more information on adoption in Oklahoma, please call 1-877-OK-SWIFT (1-877-657-9438).

News Editor/Directors Note: Finding homes for these waiting children is important to all Oklahomans and as the numbers show, hundreds have opened their homes to give these children a family of their own. We have families who would like to share their experience so that others can know the joy of adopting. Please contact the OKDHS Office of Communications to arrange interviews the day of the event.

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