National Adoption Day helps secure “forever homes” for Yuma’s children

One family in particular is ready to share their love with a new member - 13 On Your Side's Luis Lopez reporting

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - While it can typically take months to years to adopt a child, several families completed that process over at the Yuma County Juvenile Court for National Adoption Day.

On Saturday, lives were changed when 17 families finalized the adoption of over 20 children, creating what the event referred to as “forever homes.”

One family is eager to embrace their new family member. Jim Nolan and Nubis Maiz are the new parents of one-year-old Karina.

When they first met Karina, she had came in from foster care. Nolan and Maiz became her caretakers, not knowing they would one day become her parents.

“We thought a family member was going to adopt her, but that fell through. And now she’s been with us two years, and now after today, forever. That’s how we’ve gotten to this point,” Nolan said.

Karina is not the couple’s first child, but they say they can’t wait to share the same love for her, as they have for their other children.

“Our family is growing, we have another child that we love just like our other children. We want just the best for our family. We want a unified family. We want our children to feel loved, and always have that feeling that they can come home, knowing it’s the same thing for her, as we have for our other children,” Nolan expressed.

Without a doubt, every child that was adopted Saturday has had their life changed forever, and for the better.