Honoring "Angels in Adoption"

Todd Pittenger - Thu 01:10 PM 09/06/2012

Janice and Gary Meyer are honored as "Angels in Adoption".

First District Congressman Tim Huelskamp made a stop in Salina Thursday to honor a couple. The congressman, an adoptive father himself, honored Gary and Janice Meyer as the 2012 "Angels in Adoption" winner.

Every year, members of Congress have the opportunity to nominate one family in their congressional district to be awarded with the "Angels in Adoption" recognition sponsored by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute.

In the late 1980s, Janice and Gary Meyer decided to help children by providing a warm, nurturing, loving home to those in need. They became foster/adoptive parents and have continued their outstanding service to children for twenty-four years. To date they have adopted eight children. All of the children they have adopted have extreme behavior, mental health challenges, and medical needs.

Gary Meyer tells KSAL News that he and his wife first became foster parents when they thought that they could not have children of their own. They got their first foster child in 1987.

The Meyers ended up having a daughter of their own. But that didn't slow them down. They continued to take foster children into their family. They even adopted some of the children. So far they have adopted eight children. And there could be ninth in the works.

The family has taken in some of the most challenging foster children, including handicapped children and children with medical issues. Gary says that the hardest part, though, has been "dealing with the system", meaning the bureaucracy that can be time-consuming and difficult.

Congressman Huelskamp and his wife have four adopted children. As he spoke, the congressman became emotional as he talked about his family.

The Meyers will travel to Washington, D.C. to be honored as well.

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