As the moment neared when a judge would decide his fate, 16-month-old Jaylen D’Wayne Wallace moved around the courtroom, oblivious.

He walked around the benches, going after a stack of children’s books nearby, as well as taking off a shoe and generally having a ball.

Chris and Terria Wallace were paying attention to the time, waiting for the judge to come in and give the OK for Jaylen to become a permanent member of their family during Den­ton’s second annual Denton County Adoption Day.

“It’s just being in love with the child,” Chris Wallace said before the court proceeding Friday. “He’s just like our own.”

The Wallaces have been going through court proceedings for nearly a year to adopt Jaylen. He was born to a relative of Terria’s, and when she could not care for him, the Wallaces stepped in. They sought adoption to avoid splitting up the family or potentially having Jaylen put in the system and placed in another home.

“We weren’t worried about it [the adoption]; we just hoped there wouldn’t be any problems. We really got attached to him,” Chris Wallace said.

The Wallaces have cared for Jaylen since he was 2 months old. Terria Wallace said her teenage daughter claimed Jaylen as her brother before they had even begun the adoption proceedings.

“I can’t get in the house in the evening for her grabbing him,” she said with a laugh. It had been a while since she and her husband had to care for an infant, but they said it hasn’t been a problem.

“It’s just part of the day now — we have our routine,” Terria Wallace said.

Jaylen and 11 other children were placed in permanent homes Friday. Denton County Bar Association representative Amie Peace said the cases this year were made easier by a groundswell of support from the community.

Sponsors donated books, savings bonds and more to each of the children as well as food and games to enjoy at the county courthouse after the adoption proceedings. Judges and lawyers donated their time to help with the cases — so much so that there weren’t enough cases for all of the volunteers, Peace said.

She called the adoptions the ultimate gift for people who want a child forever.

“And whether we have two kids or 20, we’ll spend as much time and have as many people dedicated,” she said.

Teresa Garza and her husband, Inky, adopted a child last year on the county’s first adoption day and said things have been going great.

“She’s a happy little girl,” she said.

Teresa Garza praised the celebratory nature of the day.

“It made the day really special, more of a big party,” she said. “I think it’s really important kids have that, especially the older ones.”