The desire to have children is universal and almost everybody has an inborn desire in their lives. There are times, however, when things may not work out exactly as you would expect.
Such was the case for a young woman who had a desire to have children but was tired of waiting around for Mr. Right. In January 2017, she made the decision to become a licensed foster parent.
Her intention was to foster children for a number of years and help reunite some families. Eventually, she hoped to have a forever family of her own.
It took eight months before she received an email saying that she was approved. Within a few hours, she was a first-time mother to a newborn, a 1-year-old, and a 2-year-old set of children. It was terrifying to her because she was so new to the process.
In the next three years, she would go on to foster 16 children and help out a number of families in the local area. She also experienced a reunification, and then happened at Christmas of 2018.
Unfortunately, it didn’t last because the mother had a history with the state and they knew that the baby would end up being adopted. She decided to do it, but she struggled in the early days.
The baby did spend time in the NICU because he was so little. They even named him Tiny. There were some struggles in the early days and every day was just a day to be healthy.
That lasted until June 18, when they got their day in court and the judge terminated parental rights. It was a difficult moment, but they were finally headed for adoption and it was official in three months.
Another call came in in 2019 from a social worker, and she said: “I know you don’t do teens, but I have this girl. She’s great, her and her current foster family just need a break. What about just for the weekend?”
She said yes and things worked out for the best. The other children considered her to be a big friend and she loved having someone around who was closer to her age.
She was there temporarily, but it ended up being a long-term visit. In March 2020, she came back after being away for a short time and was feeling disappointed. She didn’t want to be adopted, but within a few months, the paperwork was started.
The teenager was adopted three days before she turned 17. It was a beautiful time in both of their lives, and a reminder that every life matters.