Overview

• A Little Rock judge finalized Samuel “Cozy” Dietrich’s adoption on Monday, ending nearly 15 years in foster care.
• Arkansas Department of Human Services officials attended the courtroom ceremony, including division director Tiffany Wright.
• Cozy is nonverbal and has disabilities, factors that advocates say often make finding permanent homes more challenging.
• Anna Dietrich, a Project Zero logistics coordinator, met Cozy through her work; her husband, Tim, is a physician.
• Arkansas permits youth to remain in foster care until age 21, with fewer than 200 children currently in the system.