OUR STORIES

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Daniel and Jerrie Teague

Daniel and Jerrie Teague have been foster parents for the past nine years.  They have cared for 43 children and have adopted four children. Their most recent adoption is one that shocks many people. On September 8, 2023 they adopted their 18 year old foster son, Mez!

The Teague family said “yes” to Mez in November 2021, a week before Thanksgiving. However, they had decided prior to his arrival that they were going to take a break from fostering for a little while.  But on that day in November when the Program Manager called them begging them to keep Mez for just one night, they couldn’t say no.  On paper, Mez was a 16 year old, 6 ft. 5 male with a history that would make even the most seasoned foster parents say no.  They agreed to meet Mez the next morning for breakfast to introduce themselves and discuss their family expectations.  Their breakfast meeting went well. It broke their hearts to hear him say that he had heard the phone calls about him and had heard 25 families say no to him.  It greatly impacted him that the Teagues said yes and were willing to give him a chance.  They agreed to a short-term placement while the DSS team worked to place him in a therapeutic home.

After a couple of weeks they were notified that DSS had found a placement for Mez and DSS would be moving him.  Mez was upset that he had settled in with the family and he didn’t want to move.  Daniel agreed and wanted to know if Mez could stay.  After discussing the options with DSS, it was decided that Mez would continue to remain with the Teagues.  Over the next few months, Mez was able to accomplish a lot with the help of the Teagues and his LINKS worker.  He was able to obtain his GED and got a job at a local pharmacy. Mez loved going to church with the family and made the personal decision to be saved and baptized.  He became very involved with the church youth group, sharing his testimony and working as a camp counselor for two summers.  Mez made friends easily and everyone loved his infectious smile and amazing testimony.

Mez shares that there were so many things the Teague family and their community did to make him feel like family.  He loved that they hung his picture on the wall at home and included him in family pictures.  He was shocked and so appreciative when Jerrie came home one day and had bought him his favorite purple Doritos. He couldn’t believe that she knew his favorite snack. Mez bought speakers for his car and brought them home with a friend one day.  He asked Daniel if he would help install the speakers in his car and they spent the evening working together on the project.  As Mez was taking his friend home he said, man I wish I had a dad like yours.  Mez stated-yeah I have the best family. The Teagues’ church family and large extended family also accepted Mez into their groups without hesitation.  If they knew of his past, they never mentioned it or let it impact their ability to include him and care about him.

A few months before his 18th birthday, Mez asked the Teague family about doing a legal name change.  Jerrie reached out to Foster Family Alliance of NC to inquire about adult adoptions for aging out foster teens.  After receiving some information about the process, the Teagues made the decision to ask Mez on his 18th birthday if he would like to become an official Teague family member through adoption.  The answer was a definite YES and they filed the adoption petition immediately!  They scheduled a courthouse ceremony, complete with matching adoption shirts and a courtroom filled with family and friends. Mez decided to change his name through adoption to include his adoptive dad’s name.  Daniel Mez Teague.  It was a day filled with lots of love, laughter, reflection, and tears.

Mez will tell anyone that if the Teagues had not said “yes” to him, his life would look very different.  The Teagues will tell you that Mez had to say yes too!  Without Mez’s desire to live with them and to make better choices, his story would not have turned out this way.  Jerrie is grateful that even though they were going to take a break from fostering, they decided to take a chance on Mez.  Their lives wouldn’t be the same without him.  Their family has been blessed four times through adoption-with the journey starting each time with a “yes”.

COURTNEY THOMPSON

After fighting infertility for 7 years and nothing working we took a leap of faith of becoming parents to children who needed us most and became foster parents!! It has been a rollercoaster of an adventure but we wouldn’t trade any of it! It’s been one of the best adventures in our life thus far!! My name is Courtney Thompson and my husband Eddie and myself became foster parents a little over 3 years ago. We were in a situation in our life where we knew we wanted to be parents but had many different cards dealt to us and were at a crossroads. Our path could have been to start IVF, look into domestic adoption, or become foster parents. We spent many nights talking our options out and praying about different scenarios in hopes we would choose the right path to take. People will ask why we chose the path to become foster parents rather than simply adopting and we always respond “We didn't, God knew these kids needed us whether it is for a short time or forever and he led us to where we were supposed to be”.

We have had many different placements in this short time of becoming foster parents but each placement is and was very different and holds very special places in our hearts. When we received our first placement it was a 1-month-old infant. The baby was an answer to our prayers. We just knew God sent this child to us and we were over the moon. Going into foster care we knew reunification is the ultimate plan for the children in care and we fully support that plan but let me tell you, you get attached and sometimes it's hard to remember that plan. This baby made me a momma and I couldn’t think of anything else other than they were ours. A couple of months went by and at one of our court hearings, we learned that the family had come forward and our little one would soon be reunified in a Kinship placement. Wow, I never in a million years thought this would happen but here we were sitting outside a courtroom numb. Fighting infertility and never getting the results you want month after month is a type of heartbreak many families are coming to know this day in time and I wished nobody ever had to experience it but this type of heartbreak that myself and my husband had just been hit with was something I could never prepare myself for. I was devastated and the grief was real. I felt as if I had no reason to continue because I was not meant to be a momma. It was awful and I had a hard time getting over this heartbreak and questioning why God would give me something I wanted so badly but take it away and leave me so brokenhearted. Family and friends and other foster parents comforted me and talked with me but nothing could take this pain away. After our placement moved on with family we took some time to heal from this heartbreak before accepting another long-term placement. We did a couple of respite weekends for other foster families and took in some children who just needed a bed for a night or two until family members could take them and honestly, we thought about calling it quits but something kept me going. I reached out to our placement coordinator a couple of months later to let them know we were ready for another long-term placement.  A couple of weeks went by and we hadn’t received a call. I told my husband well I guess maybe we just aren't meant to be parents, but the next day we got a call for 2 children. I was so excited I said yes before even discussing it with my husband. When I called to tell him I wished you could have heard his response, "Are you crazy? Two, what are we going to do?” I reassured him it was going to be ok and to remember this was God’s plan, not ours! That Friday came and the two kids were brought to our home. Oh my gosh they were the cutest kids I had seen and they won our hearts over the minute they jumped out of the van. They were 2 & 6 and they were perfect. After a couple of weeks of learning about the kids and starting school, we knew something was delayed with the 2-year-old. I worked in a self-contained classroom for special needs children with the local school system and I knew something just wasn’t right. After talking things over with the caseworker and doctor we all came to the agreement that there were some characteristics that were concerning. Fast forward 2 years and many doctor appointments, therapy appointments, sleepless nights, and myself having to quit my full-time job to be a stay-at-home mom, I advocated and fought for this little one to get the help that was needed. They were evaluated and diagnosed with Autism. This sweet little 2-year-old who couldn’t speak at all when they were brought to our home is now in a school that fits their needs and is thriving and excelling in everything they do, including talking as they constantly talk and we can never get a word in. Their case has been all over the place with so many highs and lows but we just continue to advocate for these kids and support them no matter what happens.

Fast forward a year and 2 months and we get another call but this time another infant. Wow, the emotions that came flooding back made it hard to make a quick decision on this one because life had been going so well and I was afraid of being heartbroken again. But God took my hand and we accepted the placement of a newborn. I was scared, should I get attached? What did we need to do? We had never picked a baby up from the hospital. We had so many emotions and thoughts we seemed a bit crazy I'm sure. But when we walked into this room to this sweet innocent 4lb baby that they laid in my arms, everything just stopped. I knew right then and there everything was going to be ok and whatever happened I was where I needed to be and God had us. We are 9 months in with this sweet baby and with so many unknowns of parent medical history or family history, the health issues this sweet little one is battling every day have been tough. We see 12 different specialists with an average of 3 to 4 appointments a week still with no clear answers to some of the issues, but we just continue to advocate and work with our team of doctors to get answers. But now I know why I went through the heartbreak I did because these 3 kids needed us and it was in God’s plan for us to be their protectors, their caregivers, their voice but all in His time. We will continue to advocate for these children and all children. We will be their voice when nobody else will. We will continue to support these children and their birth parents on their case plans. We will be here on this journey with them whether it be a short time or forever. We will just keep the Faith and know we are doing what God intended us to do and continue to be the best parent we can be to our sweet little ones. So if you're considering becoming a foster parent I say take a leap of faith and do it. I promise you it will be the hardest thing you ever do but it will also be the best thing you ever did. I am so glad God took us down this path even though it has been hard, it has been our biggest blessing in life!

Gaile Osborne

They say nothing prepares you for parenthood. The same can be said, even more so, for foster parenthood. Gaile Osborne knows firsthand.

Gaile always wanted to be a mother. It was just in her. But when she and her husband, Thomas, decided it was time to start a family, they were left in shock at her infertility diagnosis.

Considering IVF and adoption, Gaile found both options prohibitively expensive. She also found the adoption agencies hyper-focused on her financial status, yet indifferent to her qualities as a parent.

“I was mad, and ‘mad’ turns me into change,” Gaile said. “I knew I needed to do something.”

In 2008, the Osbornes, who reside in Western N.C., decided to become foster parents, welcoming a four-year-old girl into their home with nothing but the clothes on her back. The little girl’s trauma was immediately evident, as she broke into tears with every tiny accident or misstep she made. Gaile was beside herself.

“Nothing prepares you for the trauma. I was just devastated that this baby had to go through this,” said Gaile, who refers to each of her foster children as her “babies.” “I remember thinking to myself in that first placement that I wanted to prepare foster parents with better training.”

She held onto that thought as she welcomed her next foster children: three brothers—a nine-month-old, a two-year old and a four-year old—who Gaile said arrived with an “alphabet soup of diagnoses.”

Even as a licensed special education teacher with a master’s in education and a focus on child behavior, Gaile was at a loss. There was no system to follow, no protocols in place. After three months, reluctant and heartbroken, her husband made the decision to place the boys in another home.

For two years, the Osbornes welcomed more foster children. But fighting to mend the pain in each child, only to say goodbye as they entered adoption or kinship placement, left Gaile emotionally exhausted. “I was tired of riding the foster parent roller coaster,” she said. Instead, Gaile and Thomas took the first steps to a lifetime commitment—adoption.

When imagining a family, Gaile always pictured a child with red hair. So, when four-year-old Sierra, with her ginger locks, and her two-year-old brother, Derek, came into their lives, it felt like fate.

During their initial respite visits, Gaile and her husband drove the children up to their home in the mountains. Sierra and Derek were in awe at the clouds resting gently on the mountaintops like blankets. One evening, as the family sat looking out at those clouds, Thomas turned to Gaile and said, “They’re ours.”

In 2010, the Osbornes officially adopted Sierra and Derek. This transition, like all the rest, wasn’t easy. Sierra and Derek had been placed eight times prior to finding their home with the Osbornes and had suffered significant trauma and abuse in their few years of life. Helping them heal became Gaile’s sole mission and full-time job. That meant quitting her job and relying on government assistance to keep the family afloat as her husband built his own business as an electrician.

While a stay-at-home mom, Gaile began connecting with agencies, organizations, and individuals to better understand the foster care system, her rights, and the resources available for her children. All the while, she traveled from coast to coast, north to south, visiting neurofeedback clinicians and eastern medicine doctors. “I dragged my kids to Seattle, Canada, Mexico, Washington, D.C. I was so desperate to heal my children. What I was learning along the way was how to better train foster parents.”

When she began seeing the effort pay off for Sierra and Derek, she became adamant about foster care advocacy, where she could combine her love of children, expertise in special education and firsthand experiences to help advance the system. She began working at a community parent resource center, learning the needs of other foster parents like her.

At work and at home, Gaile was seeing the gaps in foster care support. Families like hers were not being heard or sought out for advisement. “When I show up in court and I need something, I should be able to ask for it,” Gaile said.

In 2020, Gaile became the President of the Board for Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina (FFA), which she now operates as executive director. A nonprofit organization that currently serves 7,000 families across the state, FFA was founded by current foster parents with the mission to recruit foster and adoptive parents and provide assistance and training to existing families. Under Gaile’s leadership, FFA now offers an online community where parents can find support and advocates for policy change.

Through the work of the organization and in conjunction with Benchmarks, a nonprofit association advocating for children, adults and families, the Foster Parents Bill of Rights was put into effect in North Carolina in October of 2021. The bill ensures that foster parents are treated with respect, provided with additional resources, and empowered with clear guidelines.

Beyond the Foster Parents Bill of Rights, the Osbornes have other wins within their home to celebrate—five children who are growing and adapting, taking part in activities, and showing that even though their trauma will forever be a part of their life, it does not have to define them.

The Osbornes enjoy family dinner night every night. No exception. They love hikes and finding hole-in-the-wall restaurants. The kids play basketball in the driveway, as Gail and Thomas watch on from their seats on the porch.

The children can stare up at the mountains where the clouds may still sometimes blanket them, but then again, on some days, there are clear skies.

Anise Stafford

Anise Stafford is a single mom of four from Caldwell County. She will have been licensed through DSS for 6 years in August. During that time, Anise has done foster care, respite care, and has adopted four children. The day after Anise was licensed, she did respite care for a little boy from Friday afternoon until Tuesday morning. On Tuesday afternoon, Anise got a call for a long term placement of a little girl, who she had custody of for two and a half years.

Then, Anise got her son, who was born premature and was a medically fragile child. Her son had 2 siblings that Anise eventually got custody of. She also had another foster daughter that she adopted. Eventually, Anise adopted the three siblings. Her journey to building her family was a long process but one that was worth it in the end.

When asked why she decided to become a foster parent, Anise shared stories from her childhood that inspired her. Adoption was a big part of her family. She had several cousins that were adopted. Anise was actually abandoned by her birth mom when she was in the sixth grade. Her mom was in and out of her life and would be doing well one minute and then not good at all the next. People would ask Anise how her mom was doing and she had to tell them she did not know. There were times she did not even know if her mom was dead or alive. It was a roller coaster for Anise’s entire life until her mom passed away a few years ago. Luckily, Anise had her grandmother who was there for her as a child. She stepped in to pick up the pieces. However, not all kids have that. She wanted to be that person for a child.

Anise always knew that she wanted kids and knew that foster and adoption would be a way for her to give children a chance at stability. On top of that, Anise actually had cervical cancer and had to have a full hysterectomy, so she knew she would never be able to have biological children. When Anise worked for DSS, she did not even think it was possible for a single person to be a foster parent. However, the social workers there worked with her, encouraged her and helped her on her path to becoming licensed. 

When asked what she would say to another single person thinking of becoming a foster parent, Anise said: “Do it.” She said it is “the hardest and most heartbreaking thing you could ever do, but it is also the most rewarding thing you could ever do.” When her first foster daughter went home, people always commented on how hard it must be and how upset she must be, but she always told them that reunification is the goal of foster care. Anise’s foster daughter had two sisters, and her mom was a single mom. Anise actually worked with her to get all three of her girls back home.They actually have formed such a good relationship, that Anise took her wedding pictures and her daughters come stay with her from time to time. They became family, and without this journey, they never would have met. She supported reunification for this family, and would have supported it for the children she adopted, if it would have been safe to do so. That’s the goal whenever it is possible.

When asked what advice she would give to current foster parents, Anise said “to be open.” With Anise’s first foster daughter, her social worker would not allow Anise and the girl’s mom to meet. She was going behind Anise’s back and telling the mom bad things about her and was doing the same with Anise. Anise said that if reunification is truly the goal, then foster parents have to be willing and open to meeting biological parents and having conversations. She said that if you see each other in the grocery store then you should be able to ask each other questions, and have conversations about what you can do to help. She advised foster parents to“ask biological parents how they can help and encourage them. Anise said foster parents should not give up on having a relationship with the child’s parents, and particularly to be open to co-parenting. The child may have visitations and overnight visitations and foster parents should be open to that. They may only get their child for an hour or two, but they are working hard to get them back. She encouraged foster parents to “get the email address of biological parents and send them pictures, videos, and updates, and include them in their child’s life.”

Anise encourages everyone to be involved in foster care and to make a difference in a child’s life. She is a great lady with a beautiful family, who works hard to make sure they have the best life possible, while also understanding their story. Thank you Anise for everything you do and thank you to all the foster parents who work hard every day to help children and families.

Abby Menchinger

Abby Menchinger is a guardianship parent from Weddington, North Carolina. She was originally a foster parent who was licensed through a private agency in the Charlotte area. Abby is a mom of 6, she and her husband have 2 biological children and 4 children through guardianship. She has had guardianship of her 4 children for 7 months, but they have been in her home for 3 and a half years.

When asked why she decided to become a foster parent, Abby discussed her experience teaching at a Title 1 school. One of her elementary students entered the foster care system and Abby often worked with his guardian ad litem about how he was doing in school and how things were going at home. He was in a kinship placement with his grandmother, who asked Abby if she would be willing to foster him. After several legal hearings, he ended up reunifying, but that allowed Abby to become a foster parent. 

Abby said her experience as a guardianship parent is nothing like she thought it would be. She said that as a teacher she was taught about trauma in the brain and had experience with it as a teacher, but mentioned that “it was very different having it in your home.” She also mentioned how you become an advocate in all areas of a child’s life when they are in your home, and that was a lot to get used to. Abby had a baby when two young children were placed in her home and her family had to use several resources to keep from being in over their heads. She also mentioned that she had heard a lot of negative comments about guardianship, but that her family has had an excellent experience with it. So, it was different than what she thought but she said it was “different in a good way.”

Abby encouraged people interested in fostering to “have a lot of people around them” and “know your resources.” She mentioned that she and her husband were not aware of FFA until after they were granted guardianship. One resource that Abby mentioned was Foster Village Charlotte. They support foster parents’ needs, like cribs and clothes, but also provide training for parents. Abby just wants people to “be aware of the help that is out there” because that would make more people decide to become foster parents.

When asked what advice she would give to current foster parents, Abby said to “just understand that every case is unique.” She mentioned that it is always helpful to hear stories from other people, but that “you have to make decisions based on what is best for the kids in your care since everyone is different.” Abby also advises people to be educated on different paths to permanency and to understand that by signing up to be a foster parent, you are signing up to connect with birth parents and do what is in the best interest of the kids in your care.

Abby encourages everyone to get educated and involved in foster care in some aspect. She always looks out for the best interest of the kids in her care and we are lucky to have people like her. Thank you to Abby and all of the other foster, kinship, and guardianship parents who work tirelessly for their kids and their families.

Joe Allen

My name is Joe Allen and I’m a Social Worker. I have worked in child welfare for over 18 years and I’m currently working as a Policy Consultant and Trainer with the NCDHHS Division.  I am also a foster and adoptive parent with a passion for advocacy for youth in care.  

It’s funny how I thought I was a good Social Worker before becoming a foster parent. Fostering has taught me a lot about partnering with Resource Parents. After leaving social work, I felt the need to continue to advocate for children's welfare. I did some research (as Social Workers do!) and discovered Foster Family Alliance of North Carolina (FFA-NC). 

FFA-NC is a non-profit run by Resource Parents and their mission is to educate, advocate, support and promote partnerships that lead to positive outcomes for children, youth, and resource families of North Carolina. Initially, I was afraid my experience as a Social Worker would conflict with serving other foster parents. Instead, I found partnership when I joined the Board of FFA-NC. I saw FFA-NC not only as an organization to aid foster parents, but also a huge resource for Social Workers across this state.

As a social worker that has also been a foster parent, I have sat on both sides of the desk.  I often wondered how those without prior knowledge of social work jargon, policy, and practice could navigate the system. When asked who I talked to about all the most frustrating aspects of being a Social Worker in CPS and Foster Care, I always answered: “Other Social Workers because that’s who understands it best.” Then I had an epiphany: that is what FFA-NC is.  

Social Workers are busy. That’s not an excuse, just reality. I’ve felt the frustration of a Social Worker. I’ve been on the other side of a phone call not being returned or having to answer questions and complete tasks quickly to meet a child’s needs. Every Resource Parent has felt that a time or two. As a Social Worker, I see that FFA-NC is doing things right. They are teaching Resource Parents the ins and outs of the vernacular, policies and procedures and partnering with them to navigate gray areas in DSS policy, practices and procedures.  

I’ll end by saying that when I train Social Workers for the State of North Carolina I always tell them, “Work smarter not harder. Utilize the tools you have available to you as a Social Worker.” FFA-NC is one of those tools. Social Workers all over the state should be aware of FFA-NC and utilize it to help support those who are the most precious of all, the children and youth in our homes.

THE TEAGUE FAMILY

In June of 2015, the Teagues were contacted about placement for two boys, ages 7 and 9 years old.  Their mother was deceased and their father proved to be unable to care for them.  These boys had more trauma and were aware of the details surrounding their placement into foster care.  In April of 2016, the Teagues adopted both boys.  They have maintained a relationship with the boys’ maternal relatives and they visit their mother’s grave on Mother’s day and Christmas.  After the adoption of the boys, Jerrie decided to leave her full time job as a dispatcher and become a full time mom.  She felt the boys needed her to be at home with them and they had many appointments to attend.  The boys have had a difficult time overcoming their trauma, and parenting children with such trauma was an eye-opener for Jerrie.  She remembered thinking that MAPP class did not fully prepare them for these issues.  Jerrie is now a MAPP trainer with her local agency and she ensures that those who go through the class understand that children experience trauma and there is hope and help for them.

After adopting three children and going from a family of three to a family of six in just two years, the Teagues decided to continue fostering.  They have provided care to 36 children in their home over the past eight years.  They are currently fostering a 17 year old boy and plan to help him transition into adulthood. Jerrie remembers the call for this particular child and the details she was given about him would scare anyone.  But Jerrie and Daniel said “yes” to him and his life has completely changed.  They are immensely proud of the progress he has made.

Daniel and Jerrie believe that foster care is their calling. Jerrie is a fierce advocate for children in foster care and a mentor to other foster families.  The Teague family describes themselves as a normal, crazy family with a strong faith in God and desire to bring hope to others.

THE MORTON FAMILY

Danny and Rebecca Morton became licensed foster parents in September 2018.  The calls for placements began immediately!  Their first placement was two sisters, part of a sibling group of four children.  They were nervous, scared and excited on the day they said yes to these girls.  Going from a family of two to a family of four overnight felt crazy!  It was a whirlwind but they were excited for this new journey.  Unfortunately, just before Christmas, the placement was disrupted.  They spent the holidays with an empty home, just waiting for the next call from DSS.  

In January of 2019, they received a call about an infant at the hospital.  They immediately said yes and began visiting him in the NICU.  They took him home within the week and lovingly cared for him for 13 weeks.  During this time, nearly everyone at DSS was confident that the case would move toward adoption quickly.  Rebecca decided to leave her employment in order to stay home with baby *Alex so that he would not have to attend daycare.  Alex had some health concerns and they felt daycare would not be the best fit for him.  When Alex was 11 weeks old, paternity testing had been completed and an aunt requested placement of him.  He was placed with his aunt at 13 weeks old.  The Mortons grieved this loss and contemplated not continuing this foster care journey.

They decided to continue fostering because although they were grieving, they knew children in foster care still needed families to care for them. They were providing  care for a seven year old boy with extensive needs when they received their next call for placement. They received a call on a random Thursday from a social worker they  barely knew asking if she could submit their profile for a set of twins available for adoption in a different county. Rebecca reluctantly agreed.  The Social Worker was very honest with them and said many families across the state would be submitted for these children.  The Mortons were not anticipating the next call.  The following week, the Social Worker called and stated that they had been selected as a family to consider for the twins and she would need to submit their Pre-placement assessment to the county if the Mortons were still interested.  They said they were definitely still interested, and once again the Social Worker told them that many families would be submitted for the children, so don’t go out today and buy baby stuff!  Rebecca remembers praying specifically for the twins that night.  Not that they would be chosen as their family, but that God would place the twins with a family that would love and adore them.

The following week the Mortons received a call from their very excited Social Worker, telling them that they had been chosen as the family for the twins and that the county wanted them to come meet them.  The Mortons were cautiously ecstatic!  They went two days later to meet their sons for the first time.  The foster family that the boys were with was amazing.  They shared all of the information they had about the boys and shared all of the pictures they had taken since the boys had been in their care.  They opened their homes and allowed the Mortons to visit with the boys anytime during the wait to transition the boys to the Mortons home.  The Mortons were so appreciative of the love and care given to their boys by their first foster family.  They have maintained contact with this family over the years and consider them an extended part of their family.

After the boys were placed with the Mortons, Rebecca recalls feeling excited and extremely nervous.  The boys were legally cleared for adoption so they worked to get the adoption completed as quickly as possible.  The adoption process seemed to take forever but they credit their Social Worker with helping to calm their nerves and walking them steadily through the process.  The Mortons felt their Social Worker was amazing and they know that God used her to help them become a mom and dad to their two amazing little boys.  Had she not taken the time to reach out to them and submit their information, the Mortons would not have their precious boys.  It’s amazing when they look back on their journey to see how their journey aligned for them to be available when their boys needed them.  

After the adoption, the Mortons continued to foster and offer respite for other families.  Additionally, a few months later, Alex’s kinship placement was disrupted and he was placed in a foster home. Although the Mortons did not feel they could provide care for Alex at the time (they would have had three babies!), they have been able to connect with his adoptive family and provide information with them about the13 weeks that Alex lived with them.  They have provided pictures and stories of their time together, just as the foster family for their boys did for them!  The Mortons continued to foster after their boys were adopted, but have recently stepped away from foster care in order to focus on their boys.  The Mortons give credit to their “village” of family, friends and supporters for helping them provide care for children in foster care and for supporting them through the adoption process. Adoption allowed the Mortons the opportunity to become parents. They are forever grateful for this journey and for their “Stork” that advocated for them and helped complete their family.

*Name changed for privacy

Shannon’s Foster Journey*

Shannon is a single foster mom who felt a strong calling to become a foster parent.  She contemplated this calling for three years because she was afraid to be a single foster mom. In October of 2018 she decided to trust God and begin the journey of becoming a foster parent. Her training began in January of 2019 and in April of 2019 she was called for her first placement.

Shannon received the call for her first placement and was surprised at how little was known about this child and her needs.  The Social Worker had very little background information and no medical history.  Shannon remembers picking up a blonde haired, blue eyed little girl who was very dirty and smelled of smoke.  She came with the clothes she was wearing and a toddler backpack with two pull-ups and a hair bow.  As she put her in the car seat, she can remember feeling as scared as the little girl she was holding.

Shannon felt an instant connection to this child and vowed during that car ride home that she would always love her and would protect her during this journey together.  Their first night together she bathed her and tried to help her feel as comfortable as possible.  Over the next 10 days she learned her needs and how to handle her behaviors.  She longed to heal the lost look in her eyes.  

Ten days later, on the Friday before Easter, the Social worker called and stated that they had found an appropriate kinship placement and they planned to move *Hannah on Monday.  Shannon was not ready for the grief and loss of this child.  She felt a strong connection to her, beyond the fact that she was her first child she had cared for in foster care.  She was struck with grief and felt God had betrayed her.  

On Monday, Shannon and Baby Hannah met the Social Worker in the Starbucks parking lot.  The Social Worker removed the baby from the car and she began to cry.  Shannon vividly remembers the scene and the devastation and helplessness she felt, even now three years later.  She went home and for 32 days she grieved.   She couldn’t bring herself to clean Hannah’s room or remove the car seat.  She would call the Social Worker to check on her but due to privacy, they would only tell her that she was doing ok. On day 33, Shannon felt God telling her to straighten up Hannah’s room.  So she did.

Thirty seven days after Hannah was placed in her kinship home, the Social Worker called Shannon.  She stated that Hannah needed respite for the weekend due to an illness in the kinship home.  Shannon happily agreed to it and they had a great weekend together. After she dropped her off with the Social Worker on Monday, that afternoon the social worker called back and asked if she could keep Hannah longer?  Shannon agreed and she was placed back with her that afternoon.  She was 18 months old at the time she was placed with Shannon.  After 1,168 days, Shannon was able to adopt Hannah.

Hannah now has life twinkling in her big blue eyes.  Over the past three years they dealt with night terrors lasting 2-3 hours each night and a diagnosis of PTSD.  Hannah endured much in her first years of life, including things that would break your heart.  Now she is stubborn, sassy, smart and very independent.  Shannon feels that God was asking her to trust Him during  Hannah’s foster care journey.  She felt from the very first moment she met Hannah that God had placed her in Hannah’s life for a greater purpose. Now she is proud to call Hannah her daughter.

Shannon compares being a foster parent to free falling from an airplane and not being prepared for the obstacles and journey.  She feels that foster parents have to be the biggest advocates for children in their care.  She is committed to being the greatest advocate for her child and encourages other foster parents to do the same.  Being a foster parent is hard, but Hannah and so many other children need adults who are willing to advocate for them and bring joy and life into their lives. Shannon feels that her faith in God helped her on this journey and she doesn’t regret the pain she endured in order for Hannah to be safe and loved.

*Name changed for privacy