TAMPA, Fla. - Friday is a day more than 50 Bay Area children and families will never forget.

They’ll officially become a family. The Children’s Network of Hillsborough County is hosting an adoption event at Busch Gardens , celebrating National Adoption Month.

"It’s just amazing," Terri Balliet, Chief Executive Officer, Children’s Network of Hillsborough County, said. "This is what I live for. Knowing that families are coming together and kids are finding their forever family, it just fills my heart."

By the numbers:

Friday, judges legally united 52 children with their adoptive families. That’s compared to 39 last year.

According to Balliet, 10 of the 52 are a part of a sibling group. She said they try to keep siblings together if they can.

Since it started in 2022, the Children

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