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The road to getting an adoption petition granted is a lengthy one, and often, the final step in court can be an intimidating one for kids.
That’s why Morgan Superior Judge Dakota VanLeeuwen wanted to find a way to make children feel more comfortable at such an “adult” event.
VanLeeuwen is used to working with kids. Prior to taking the bench in January as the successor to now-Court of Appeals Judge Peter Foley, she worked on Department of Child Services cases and had done private adoptions.
As a judge, she said she wanted to make the adoptions a bigger deal for the families.
“We wanted to make it more fun for these kids, because usually it’s been a several year ride to get to where they are now to finally be adopted,” VanLeeuwen said.
Many Hoosier judges share VanLeeuwen’s sentiment, so festive adoption proceedings aren’t uncommon. But in VanLeeuwen’s court, there’s one special element that has become a crowd favorite: Squishmallow stuffed animals.
“I just thought, ‘This is such a monumental event for the kids and for these families who have already been through so much. Why not make it a bigger deal?’” VanLeeuwen said. “Squishmallows are what my kids tell me are the greatest things, and then having tried a few there (in court), they are the highlight. The kids freak out when they see them.”
A jury of one’s peers
There are about two days out of the year dedicated to adoption hearings in Morgan County, along with National Adoption Day, which includes anywhere from six to 18 hearings in a day.
On a final adoption day in VanLeeuwen’s court, the kids joining their forever families will walk in to find the jury box filled with 12 plush faces. The seats are occupied by Squishmallows, who act as the children’s “jury of peers” for the day.
The kids are allowed to run around the courtroom, VanLeeuwen said, and they often inspect every single Squishmallow in the jury box, hugging a few before landing on the perfect companion to take to their forever home.
The judge said she’s spent hundreds on Squishmallows. A few “regular” stuffed animals are also seated as jurors, but Squishmallows are the definite fan favorite.
VanLeeuwen added that Boren Oliver Coffey LLP attorney Tonisha Jarrett has helped her make the adoption hearings special.
“Her and I work together to put together all the decorations and basically make it a fun event for the kids,” she said.
Jarrett usually has balloons and a gift waiting for her clients, and on National Adoption Day, the courtroom is filled with treats.
Jarrett also has an adoption certificate for the stuffed animals so the children make an adoption that day, too.
“When the kids get their stuffed animal or Squishmallow or whatever they get, we name it and then we have judge sign that, so the kids leave with ltheir own adoption decree or certificate for the animal that they just adopted,” Jarrett said.
Taking donations
On National Adoption Day last month, Ann Jackson found herself in VanLeeuwen’s court to adopt her granddaughter, nicknamed Pebbles.
Jackson and Pebbles were surrounded by co-workers, friends and family. Pebbles was nervous at first, but when she saw the Squishmallows, she immediately said, “Look at the stuffies.”
“Pebbles is all about her special stuffies and she carries a different stuffie at all times,” Jackson said.
Pebbles got to strike VanLeeuwen’s gavel, then walked over to the jury box to pick out her new stuffed friend.
“While for a 3-year-old it can be an overwhelming process, the Squishmallows brought a kid a smile in an adult world,” Jackson said. “We later learned that Judge Dakota purchased these Squishmallows herself. Our Team at (Keller Williams) decided that we wanted to participate in the process of making sure each child going through this process has the same joy and comfort as our Pebbles did on this very special day.”
Michelle Chandler works as a real estate agent alongside Jackson and was there on Adoption Day to support Jackson and Pebbles. That’s when the idea sparked to reach out to the community to solicit donations of new or gently used stuffed animals for the adoption hearings.
In just the month since, the efforts has seen people bring in bags of stuffed animals or donate money to purchase new ones. So far, they have received more than 100.
“I think we’ll probably do this every year because it’s just awesome,” Chandler said.
VanLeeuwen said she now has so many Squishmallows that she doesn’t know what to do with all of them.
“So now the joke is I don’t know where I’m keeping them,” she said, “because we’re getting so many, which just makes me smile.”•
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