First in-person Adoption Day since 2019 held at Snohomish County courthouse
Published 1:30 am Saturday, November 19, 2022
EVERETT — Judge Anna Alexander asked Jeanne Bell if she believed adopting 3-year-old Braxton would be in his best interest, but before Bell could respond, a tiny voice rang out.
“Yes,” said the toddler, swinging around on Bell’s hip to face the judge. Soft laughter erupted in the courtroom as Braxton clamored back, wrapping his arms around Bell’s neck.
“Well I agree,” Alexander said to Braxton who clung to Bell through the hearing. “And by the power vested in me, I pronounce you mom and son.”
Braxton was one of 13 children adopted during National Adoption Day on Friday morning at the Snohomish County Courthouse — the first in-person celebration since the COVID-19 pandemic. Joy radiated throughout the courthouse and it was a day of festivities without a doubt, but the road leading here hadn’t been easy for these families.
Bell began fostering Braxton when he was just 3 days old.
His birth mother’s parental rights were terminated in a separate legal action and his biological father later passed away.
“This day’s been coming for three years, but I still didn’t expect it. I didn’t plan on having any more kids or adopting a kid, but I answered a call for help,” Bell said.
Applause rang out with Judge Alexander’s proclamation, and a crew of friends and family in “we are the village” T-shirts — in reference to the “it take a village to raise a child” saying — gathered for photos.
“These are my people. They’re my circle. Braxton knows them and even calls some of them grandma. Without them, I would not have been able to do this,” Bell said.
Behind courtroom doors decorated with brightly colored balloons and under the watchful eye of Webbly, the Everett Aquasox mascot, four judges pronounced kids to have forever homes all morning.
“This is the happiest thing we do as judges,” said Judge Millie Judge.
Meanwhile, 7-year-old Ryker was just excited he may be getting a pet turtle soon.
His father Shaun Moratti drove the duo down from Lynden, just off the Canadian border, for the 9 a.m. adoption hearing. Moratti’s mother, Jody, had driven up from Arizona to support her son, who has been fighting to adopt Ryker for about a year.
“It’s really hard for a single man to get De Facto Parentage,” said Jody Moratti, Shaun’s mother. De Facto Parentage can only be claimed when the child is raised as one’s own but is not biologically related.
“I was a basket case when they took him away from us,” she said. “And I’ve never seen my son cry, except when they took that baby away from him.”
Ryker caught her eye as he jumped up from the nearby chair, running by in his plastic Everett Fire Chief hard hat. The hats — as well as stuffed animals, toys and sweets — had been passed out to all the children during the celebration.
“He spent all of his money getting (Ryker) back, and now (Ryker) can call him dad — and I can officially be grandma,” she said, grinning.
For the Chadwicks, this is a journey that started in 2019.
Ryan Chadwick was on duty as a firefighter when a newborn baby girl was dropped off at his station. Chadwick and his wife, Heather, had already been mulling over the idea of becoming foster parents for a while, but because they had never gone through the process, they couldn’t house the baby girl.
That was their God-given moment, Chadwick said, and the couple immediately began undertaking the necessary training to become foster parents. Since that day, they’ve had nine foster placements.
At just 5 days old, Caysen moved in with the Chadwicks and their two sons.
“The boys went and saw (Caysen) at the hospital and brought him home. We wanted to be a part of this system and open our home — whether it’s for a day or a month or a lifetime — for somebody who needs it,” Chadwick said.
All bunched together and giddy with excitement, 48 people packed the courtroom — to the point of standing room only — to watch Caysen become a Chadwick nine months after entering their home. Family members, church community, baseball teammates and coworkers had all turned out in support.
“It takes a community, right,” Ryan said, laughing. “It’s God’s will and God’s grace, and we want to just provide love for folks. I think it’s kind of a misnomer with the foster care system that you shouldn’t get too attached — but you should. You should give all the love and support you have.”
Kayla J. Dunn: 425-339-3449; kayla.dunn@
