MILWAUKEE — A quick hit of the gavel marked a momentous occasion and one by one 24 children formally joined their families on Milwaukee Adoption Day.
Meagan and Madeline Minster adopted their son Sloan who was born on Mother's Day weekend.
In court Friday, a judge listened as family and friends shared their excitement before granting the adoption petition.
"I'll probably cry again. Just so excited. We just love him so much," Meagan Minster said following the hearing.
Sloan has been in the Minsters' care since he was an infant.
The couple has three other foster children and says Sloan's arrival was a surprise.
"We had about six hours' notice from the time we got the call to the time we met him," Meagan said. "Just how he joined us, it truly does feel like it all just fell into place just how it was supposed to."
Adoption Day is a milestone. On any given day as many as 6,000 children need foster care, according to the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families.
"It is a very happy day. It can be bittersweet, but it's also a time to celebrate the families that stepped up to care for the kids that needed it," said Courtney Casey, child welfare case manager with Children's Wisconsin.
Data from DCF also showed that 771 children were adopted from foster care in Wisconsin in 2022, including 249 in Milwaukee County.
"These foster families are changing lives, breaking cycles, and setting kids up to have successful futures," Casey explained.
"He is seriously the happiest baby we have ever met, and hope that continues with all the love that we have," Meagan said.
As the Minsters look ahead, they are ready to cherish the journey with Sloan.
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