5-year-old Michigan boy invites all his kindergarten classmates to his adoption hearing: 'The class is kind of my family'
A five-year-old boy from Michigan reportedly invited his entire kindergarten to the courthouse in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Thursday for an adoption hearing with his foster parents. Michael was cheered on by his supportive classmates as he officially joined his new family at a Kent County courtroom.
Michael's adoptive father, while talking to CNN, said that his son's favorite part of the process was when the judge asked everyone present in the room to explain what the five-year-old means to them.
The kindergartners reportedly offered very emotional answers as they individually stood up addressing the court and said "I love Michael," and "Michael is my best friend."
The father added that the judge was pleasantly surprised by the children's attendance, and said it was the first time she had ever hosted a whole kindergarten class for a hearing in her courtroom.
The boy's mother told the outlet that the idea was initially suggested by Michael's teacher, Mrs. KcKee, who told her about it while she dropped off her son at Wealthy Elementary School. The teacher reportedly knew that Michael's adoption will soon be finalized and that is when she and the mother agreed on making the five-year-old's big day extra special. McKee then organized the class outing by procuring a school bus and took all of the students for a field trip they would remember for a while.
“We asked him [Michael] and he said ‘You know, the class is kind of my family.’ And he wanted them to be there,” Michael's father told WOOD TV.
The couple have been married for almost 10 years. The boy had reportedly began living with them as a foster child since last Thanksgiving. "We didn't have any kids prior to that, and things got pretty chaotic in a hurry," his father said.
The new parents also gushed about their five-year-old, saying that their charismatic son loves to dance, swim, and to play basketball and soccer. The family also marveled at the number of friends Michael has and added that children "welcoming him into their homes and onto play dates" has been one of the most beautiful parts of their past year with the boy.