FRREPORT, IL, NOVEMBER 19, 1997 -- Quinn and Chester Morris of Rockford are the proud parents of 10 adopted children. Six of them were adopted in the past 14 months.
Dorothy Adams of Maple Park is not far behind. Adams, a retired hospital employee, recently adopted a sibling group of seven children in July.

Both of these special families were honored Wednesday as the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and the Saint Paul Missionary Baptist Church hosted the annual meeting of the One Church One Child Adoption Program.

One Church One Child is a unique church/state partnership that challenges primarily African-American churches to recruit at least one family from their congregation to adopt a child. The program began with one church in 1980 and has grown to more than 2,200 congregations statewide.

"When the program began, more than 1,200 African-American children were waiting to be adopted statewide," noted Rev. Peter Frank Williams, pastor of the Saint Paul Missionary Baptist Church in Freeport. ADue to the efforts of the board of directors of One Church One Child, DCFS and participating congregations, more than 6,070 children have been adopted since 1980. Today, there are only 375 African-American children in Illinois waiting for families.@

Waiting children are of all ages and backgrounds. AThe number of African-American infants waiting for adoption statewide is fewer than 20 at any given time,@ said Addie Hudson, State Director of One Church One Child. AHowever, a special emphasis is placed on older children who are difficult to place because of their age and special needs. We also stress the importance of placing sibling groups together.@

During the meeting, Rev. Williams and the One Church One Child board members presented the Adoptive Parents of the Year awards.

One Adoptive Parent of the Year award was presented to the Morrises. Quinn, who works for the Rockford school district, and Chester, who is a minister, were honored for their work with the five boys and five girls they have adopted over the years. All 10 children, ranging in age from 15 months to 12 years of age, attended the news conference Wednesday.

The board also presented an Adoptive Parent of the Year award to Adams. Adams recently adopted a sibling group of one boy and six girls ranging in age from three to 12 years.

Rev. Williams says Quinn, Chester, and Dorothy were chosen as Adoptive Parents of the Year because of their dedication, love and willingness to accept the challenge of becoming adoptive parents to children in need of loving, stable homes.

Rev. Williams, Hudson, and the One Church One Child board members also introduced children currently waiting to be adopted.

For more information on adoption, please contact the Adoption Information Center of Illinois at 1-800-572-2390.

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