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...HEAT ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 PM CDT /8 PM EDT/ FRIDAY...

* WHAT...Daily Heat index values up to 106.

* WHERE...All of southern Illinois, southwest Indiana, western
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* WHEN...Until 7 PM CDT /8 PM EDT/ Friday.

* IMPACTS...Prolonged exposure to hot temperatures and high humidity
may cause heat illnesses.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of
the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors.

Take extra precautions when outside. Wear lightweight and loose
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heat stroke.

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Local family welcomes two little kids into the family on National Adoption Day

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National adoption day

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, IL (WSIL) -- Unforgettable moments were made, tears were shed, and families were created on National Adoption Day.

One family told News 3's Joe Rehana that it took more than a year to finalize the adoption of three siblings. 

In May of last year, Dena and Allen Randall adopted a little girl whose brother was left heart-broken because he did not get adopted on that day.

Dena tells News 3 how excited the brother was to be adopted:

"And every day since then, every day he wakes up and says, is today my day? Am I going to get Adopted today? And it was great he woke up today and said, Is today my day, and I got to tell him yes, yes today is your day."

On that Friday, Carson and Cameron were adopted, and officially become part of the Randall family.

Carson and Cameron are just two of 18 kids in Foster Care taking part in the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services' local Adoption Day program.

Southern Region Administrator Wendy Ingersoll says the number of children in need of adoption can be surprising to some people:

"Statewide we have about 1,400 that are in need of a forever home right now."

15 of those adopted Friday are children within the DCFS system. Everything is explained and kids are excited because, as Ingersoll told News 3, they know it takes a long time to get to Adoption Day:

"There's sometimes some obstacles, sometimes kids linger in foster care a little bit longer than they're suppose to just because of some barriers with the court system or it could be that parents make progress for some time then they relapse."

Friday's event also marks the return of celebrating those adoptions in person, since COVID put a pause on the annual event.

For the Randalls, they would adopt more if they could:

"We've always been used to a busy home."

They raised seven children of their own before starting all over again with adoptions:

"Knowing that we had the means to help somebody else and if I hadn't, I don't think I could have lived with it, the fact that we were able to ... there's so many kids out there."Â