YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) — For the 10th year in a row, Mahoning County’s Probate Court has celebrated National Adoption Day.

Wednesday morning, Mahoning County Probate Judge Robert Rusu presided over a pair of adoption hearings for two local families.

In both cases, parents of the Perkins and Robinson families had adopted siblings of children taken in during previous adoptions.

The judge said at a time when up to 300 kids are needing foster care just in Mahoning County, adoptions like these can significantly shape a child’s future.

“We’re helping us in the future because we’re creating young productive adults,” Judge Rusu said. “They have a stable family system. They have a support system, and they know they’re going to learn things that they may not learn if they age out of the system without family.”

Over the last 10 years, Judge Rusu has been able to place 365 children into permanent homes, but there are still nearly 20 who are still waiting for their “forever” families.