Ventura County families gain new members in tear-filled adoption courtroom

Jeremy Childs | Ventura

Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of the Provencio family.

Tears were shed Friday at the Ventura County Juvenile Justice Center, but they weren’t tears of sadness — they were tears of joy.

The Ventura County Superior Court celebrated National Adoption and Permanency Month on Friday with a special adoption event.

Two local families finalized adoptions of new members at the center in El Rio, and although they couldn’t be more different, they shared the celebration of a major milestone.

A grandmother becomes a mother

Simi Valley resident Vickie Louise Decker participated in the first adoption of the day, adopting her 21-year-old grandson Clayton.

Decker, a former teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District, has raised Clayton since he was an infant. He has cerebral palsy, and Decker and her late husband both had to work hard to help him get to where he is. Today, he is finishing up a degree in computer science at Long Beach City College.

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Because they are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the adoption also holds a spiritual significance for Decker: She says she and her legal son will be able to see each other after they pass on.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Decker said.

Four siblings grow to five

The second adoption of the day was by Theodore and Renée Provencio, who live down the street from the Juvenile Justice Center.

The Provencios had two biological sons: Noah, 12, and Jacob, 8. They then adopted two girls: Emily, 6, and Eden, 3. On Friday, they adopted their third son, Christopher, just a few days shy of his first birthday.

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Renée Provencio said Christopher came into their lives at the beginning of 2019 when they were contacted by the adoption agency Koinonia Family Services. The agency asked if the Provencios were interested in adopting Eden’s half-brother Christopher, since the goal is to keep siblings together if possible.

“We opened up our hearts and our home, and it felt right,” Theodore Provencio said.

After the adoption was finalized, the court gave the family gifts of a teddy bear and Bundt cakes. As they arranged themselves for photos, Christopher’s new mom turned to him and exclaimed,“You’re now a Provencio!”

How to get involved

According to state officials, nearly 21,000 children enter the foster care system in California each year. If you’re interested in learning more about adopting, contact the Ventura County Human Services Agency at 805-240-2700 and ask for the adoptions officer of the day.

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Jeremy Childs is a breaking news and public safety reporter covering the night shift for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached by calling 805-437-0208 or emailing jeremy.childs@vcstar.com.