Page 8 - 2020_CFS_AnnualReport

WHEN
JOHN AND SARA’S STORY
FAMILIES
Panic, Relief, Joy – these three words come to mind in describing Sara’s emotions when she and her husband, John, were notified that their application was approved. After a very long and frequently draining process, they could now breathe a sigh of relief that their dream of adopting a child had finally come true. In the spring of 2014, John and Sara learned about Children’s Friend through a co-worker familiar with the agency’s foster care and adoption services.
GROW...
John and Sara soon began to partic- ipate in TIPS-MAPP training classes, encompassing ten weeks of three- hour courses at Children’s Friend. Then, in October of 2014, they started the home study process, which lasted four to six weeks and involved an ex- tensive interview process covering finances, medical history, referenc- es, and an assessment to determine whether they are willing and able to raise a child. Sara and John were pri- marily interested in the permanency of adopting a child. As Sara states, “I don’t know what I would do if they had to take the baby away from us.”
Several months had passed, and in the summer of 2015, Sara received a tele- phone call from Children’s Friend. She was informed that a woman wanted a family to adopt her unborn child. Of course, the couple indicated that they wanted to be considered. Unfor- tunately, they were not chosen. Three months later, another opportunity for adopting a child became available.
Again, the couple was informed that they were not chosen. Needless to say, Sara and John were very disap-
pointed and anxiously waited for the next opportunity, which came about one year later. Disappointment set in once again as John and Sara expe- rienced another unfortunate setback when the birth mother reconsidered her decision and decided against adoption.
In August of 2019, Sara had a conver- sation with her Children’s Friend Case Worker, Melanie, who asked them if they would consider becoming foster parents. “From the very beginning, Mel was our rock and would check in with us even when nothing was hap- pening,” Sara said. “Since the very beginning, she has been there for us and got me over the hump to seriously consider foster care.”
Approaching two years since this couple first became involved with the adoption process, they both agreed and said, “Yes, let’s do it. We need to do something.” On December 14, 2019, Sara received a telephone call informing her that a one-month-old boy needed a loving and caring foster home.
Sara and John were thrilled and couldn’t wait to meet their new foster
Expectant mothers and families with newborns
received home visiting services to promote and strengthen positive parent-child relationships, promote positive growth and development in children, and build strengths of families and their protective factors.
[ 8 ] LIFELINES