Mindy Andrews began to cry Friday as a Butler County judge asked her what her newly adopted daughter means to her.

“It's just a dream come true. I can't wait to see what her life will bring,” Andrews, 41, said of 2-year-old Malia.

She was one of 18 families who were united Friday through adoptions to mark National Adoption Day.

A section of the county court was filled with balloons, food and candy as dozens of people streamed in to get Judge Kelley Streib's approval for final adoption.

Streib spent the day high-fiving adopted children and wishing the newly formed families a happy life.

Happy ending to adoption process

Streib said that it was a positive change to see the children happy after months or years of watching them move through the foster and adoption process.

As the judge assigned to family court, she is responsible for helping to decide where to place the children and to determine if the biological parents are fit to take their children back.

“Coming to the court for people is usually not a good time,” Streib said. “A lot of times we don't see the positive side of these things, but everyone enjoys this day.”

For Andrews, a single mom living in Greensburg, Friday marked the end of a long road that stretched back two years, reuniting Malia with her brother, Grayson, 5.

In 2017, Andrews was contacted by the county's Children Youth Services. They notified her that the son of her ex-husband's niece, Grayson, was being placed in a foster home with another family.

Andrews said Grayson thrived there, but when the foster family had to move to Japan for a job opportunity, CYS asked if Andrews could take Grayson since foster children cannot leave the country.

“He didn't act out with me and we got along really well, so I knew it was going to work,” Andrews said.

In July, Andrews learned that Grayson's biological mother was pregnant with Malia. CYS asked Andrews if she would also take Malia once she was born. Andrews accepted.

As a single working mom, Andrews received help raising Malia from her community and church members.

'Life-changing'

“It was life-changing for sure in the most awesome way,” Andrews said.

For two years, Andrews served as the childrens' foster parent, shuttling them twice a week from Greensburg to Butler for visits to their biological parents.

Nicole Burdett, a supervisor with CYS, said the No. 1 goal is to reunite children with their biological parents. But in some cases, she said, reunification isn't possible, and Friday's event was a celebration of the alternative — being adopted by caring families.

“In Butler County, they are doing it the right way. That was eye-opening to me,” Andrews said. “The foster system in Allegheny County is total chaos.”

Looking back at what she had to do, Andrews said she one day wants to write a book about her experience.

“If you're going to take foster children, you have to ask a lot of questions,” Andrews said. “I would want to tell a story that would be helpful. Don't jump into this blind. But I also want it to be inspirational.”

Andrews recalled being 25 years old and thinking about adopting children. She said Grayson's previous foster family ended up never going to Japan.

“God has his hand on this the whole time,” Andrews said.

It's the county's 12th year holding the event, which is part of a national event celebrated in 400 cities that was created in 2000.