HELENA — For one afternoon, the Montana Capitol Rotunda was about more than state business. It became a place for families to celebrate the moments that brought them together and the journeys it took to get there.
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Gov. Greg Gianforte joined adoptive families and Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Director Dr. Douglas Harrington on Thursday for the Celebrate Adoption ceremony, where the governor proclaimed November 2026 as Adoption Month in Montana.
Helena adoptive parent April Berns was among those who shared their stories.
For Berns, the journey began on Oct. 5, 2018, when she received a call from Child Protective Services asking if she could take in her granddaughter. Her granddaughter came to live with her the following month.
On March 11, 2021, Berns officially adopted her. She is now 8 years old.
“Knowing that I can give them everything that they needed and deserved, everything,” Berns said.
Her family grew again in August 2025, when two of her grandsons came into her care. On Sept. 30, 2026, those adoptions became official as well.
Berns has adult children and said she otherwise would have been an empty nester. Instead, she's getting another chance to experience school days, activities, and the everyday moments of raising kids.
“I get to do it all over again, and I’m blessed,” Berns said. “I'm the grandma that gets to see them every single day. I get to help them, I get to challenge them. I just feel blessed to have them in my home.”
Berns was joined at Thursday's ceremony by fellow adoptive parent Meagan Hogue. Hogue and her husband, Wesley, have fostered children since 2022 and adopted two children while working to maintain connections with their children's biological families.
The ceremony also highlighted families across Montana who have opened their homes to children through foster care and adoption.
“Every child deserves to grow up in a permanent loving home where they’re supported and have a family they can count on,” Gianforte said.
According to the governor's office and DPHHS, the number of Montana children in foster care has declined nearly 48% since 2021, from more than 3,300 to 1,716.
DPHHS has also helped facilitate more than 250 adoptions and guardianships in 2026. Harrington said during Thursday's event that the state has handled 256 this year.
But children are still waiting for permanent homes, and Harrington said finding the right family for each child can present challenges.
“The difficulty is in matching the children,” Harrington said. “Some of them have disabilities, some of ’em come from really difficult backgrounds.”
Harrington, who has seven children and is an adoptive parent himself, said DPHHS works with prospective families to help them understand the process and connect them with financial assistance and other resources.
“Adoption is more than a legal milestone,” Harrington said during the ceremony. “It is a lifelong commitment to helping a child feel safe, supported and loved.”
The state has also taken steps in recent years aimed at lowering some of the barriers to adoption.
In 2023, Gianforte signed an adoption tax credit into law worth $5,000, or $7,500 for children adopted within Montana.
Earlier this year, Montana also joined the national A Home for Every Child initiative, a partnership with the federal government aimed at strengthening foster care, expanding the availability of foster homes and prioritizing kinship placements.
For people who have thought about adoption but may be hesitant to take the first step, Harrington offered a simple message.
“Don't be afraid, just really consider it,” he said.
Berns said one lesson from her own experience is the importance of asking questions. When she first entered the process, she said she didn't realize how many resources were available to families.
But despite the challenges that have come with raising her grandchildren, Berns said she wouldn't change her family's path.
“It’s worth it,” Berns said. “It’s a challenge, but it will be the most blessed challenge you ever go through.”
Thursday's ceremony was intended both to recognize Montana's adoptive families and to raise awareness about children who are still waiting for permanent homes.
People interested in learning more about adoption can visit the DPHHS Child and Family Services Division adoption website or call 1-866-9-FOSTER (1-866-936-7837).
