By: Greg Pallone – Central Florida News 13

VIERA – Nov. 18, 2010 – Thirteen children now have a reason to smile for the holidays: They’ve been adopted. At a special ceremony Thursday at the Brevard County Courthouse, the children were legally allowed to join their new families.

November is National Adoption Month, and the ceremony was made possible by Brevard Family Partnership. Along with its community partners, the partnership works to provide foster care and support, connect children with adoptive families, and prevent child abuse in Brevard County.

If you or someone you know would like to adopt, you should visit Brevard Family Partnership’s website here.

“There are children out there who need this,” said Jim Carlson, with Brevard Family Partnership. “We are consistently looking for families to step forward to open their hearts and homes to children in the foster care system.”

Since 2006, more than 400 children in Brevard County have been adopted through the program.

The group’s fifth annual Walk of Love event takes place Saturday at the Avenue Viera. Registration begins at 8:15 a.m., and the walk starts at 9 a.m.