A Better Plan! Foster to Adopt Journey

Kelly and her husband John have continued to trust in a better plan when saying yes to welcoming children into their home. Hear from Kelly as she shares her family’s journey.

John and I had always talked about fostering and adopting later in life.  We were going to have our own family and when our kids got older, we would look into fostering/adopting.  However, God had a better plan! 

We had our biological daughter in 2016 and quickly found out we would be unable to have any further children.  In 2018 we started our pre-service classes through Pathway and became licensed at the end of October 2018. 

Less than a week later, we took placement of our first foster son.  D arrived in our home in early November 2018.  He was successfully reunified with his biological parents in May 2019 and we were able to maintain contact for about a year after reunification. 

In June 2019, we found out our biological daughter had a brain tumor that would require extensive surgery so while our license was still active, we were not planning to accept placements while we cared for our daughter.  However, God, again, had a better plan!  Three weeks after her brain surgery, in July 2019, we got a placement call that we could not say no to.  There was a healthy baby boy who would be discharged from the hospital in a few hours and he needed placement.  John and I both felt that we were meant to say “yes.”  Three hours later, our now adopted son arrived on our front porch.  C was with us just over two years when we had a virtual court date (compliments of covid) in our living room, surrounded by family and he legally became our son.

We had plans that after adopting C, our family would be complete.  But…God! Two weeks before we finalized his adoption in September 2021 we received a call that C’s biological mom had given birth again and this little boy would need to be placed into a foster home.  We agreed to accept placement of E and have never looked back.  18 months into placement, in April 2023, we legally adopted E into our family as well. 

Again, we thought we were done, but agreed to keep our license open, while being placed on the inactive list, meaning they were not going to call us for placements until we let Pathway know otherwise.  Once again, God showed up with a different plan.  In September 2023, we received a call that our boys’ biological mom had given birth to another baby boy who would need placement.  We talked and prayed and decided as a family that J was meant to join our lives.  In the words of our 6-year-old daughter, “They are brothers and family sticks together.” 

We currently have our biological daughter, two sons who are legally adopted, and a foster baby boy who we will love as long as we are needed.  Our journey hasn’t always been easy but we are continuing to trust God and His plans, because He hasn’t failed us yet and we know He never will!  

Are you ready to trust in a better plan? The first step to becoming a foster-to-adopt parent is to contact our Recruitment Department. We are here to answer ALL your questions! Call 330-818-0444 or email shenry@pathwaycfc.org TODAY! Learn more HERE: https://www.pathwaycfc.org/foster-care/