Wake County hosts adoption information fair Saturday

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Nearly 200 kids in Wake County are currently waiting for their forever homes and hoping they will one day be adopted.

If that's something you've ever considered, you can get more information about the process Saturday.

The Cote family knows about the process of adoption all too well.

More than three years ago, they decided they wanted to contribute more to their community. They went through the process to become a foster family. When they got the call for their first placement, a newborn, just 20 minutes later, Wake County asked if they wanted to adopt.

Without hesitation, they said yes. Now, they can't imagine their family of five without their feisty 3.5-year-old

"We always say we thought we had the missing puzzle piece with our second biological child and then Parker came along and it's like, oh wait. Actually this feels more complete," said Nicole Cote.

"It's a complicated thing because the biological parents of these kids are not necessarily intending to give them for adoption. So Wake County does a good job of supporting the foster families and the adoptive families," said Dustin Cote.

Even though the Cote family has already adopted their daughter, they are open to possibly adopting more children in the future. Plus, they continue to foster children in Wake County.

Right now, Wake County has 183 kids in its care; 129 are already legally cleared for adoption. About 90 of the children are between the ages of 4 and 12, and 39 are between the ages of 13 and 17 years old.

If you are interested in adoption or fostering in Wake County, there's an information fair happening Nov. 18. It will run from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Wake County Commons Building at 4011 Carya Drive, just off I-440 and Poole Road. The information fair is a no-obligation event.