Newly formed families celebrated adoption finalization at Tropicana Field on Thursday afternoon. Family Support Services, the Rays Baseball Foundation and Rowdies Soccer Fund, other community partners all came together for the joyous celebration. The afternoon holiday-fun afternoon included final adoption ceremonies for over 30 children, and over 18 adoptive families.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – December 8: Family Support Services Adoption finalization ceremony held in the Republic Bank Draft Room at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL on December 8, 2022. (Will Vragovic / Tampa Bay Rays) 
Family Support Services Adoption finalization ceremony held in the Republic Bank Draft Room at Tropicana Field. 
Family Support Services Adoption finalization ceremony held in the Republic Bank Draft Room at Tropicana Field. 
Family Support Services Adoption finalization ceremony held in the Republic Bank Draft Room at Tropicana Field.
Finalizing Adoption with FSS
The event was part of Family Support Services’ #officallystiched adoption initiative. This initiative honors adoptive families. It also informs the community about the need for more families willing to adopt children in the foster care system.
Currently, over 2,576 children remain in the system of care in Pinellas and Pasco Counties. This includes 620 children who are awaiting adoption.
Family Support Services is an agency for family preservation, foster care, and adoption services. The organization operates in Duval, Nassau, Pasco and Pinellas counties. Through community-based care, FSS provides services and programs to help prevent child abuse and neglect. Community-based care means investing in preventing abuse, preserving families, and reunifying families so that kids are not growing up in foster care. It also means promoting a healthy family environment and to care for children in foster care. The more they prevent children from spending too much time in the foster care system, the more they succeed in helping the community thrive.
