Free adoption is the way we can change lives. If you weren’t aware, adoptions through foster care are free in almost all 50 states. This week we chat with Paige Sullivan Connell about her family’s free foster care adoption and how their lives have changed for the better.
A Slow Start
Growing a family through adoption had been a goal for both Paige and her husband. However, things didn’t start to fall into place until they moved to the suburbs.
Like so many, Paige had no idea that you could adopt through foster care. Thankfully, one of Paige’s friends introduced her to the process of adoption through foster care. Immediately, she began to investigate and start the application process.
Paige and her husband started their foster care journey in the spring of 2019. It was a slow start, the application process alone took several months and in the fall they took MAPP classes. Finally, after a year of work Paige and her husband got their license.
Finding Your Family
Now officially certified the process of meeting children began. They started by attending a few matching events and disclosure meetings for children that their caseworker thought might be a good fit.
After sharing their journey with family and friends Paige’s cousin reached out to them and connected them with a friend who was fostering children looking for an adoptive family. They connected with the family directly and move forward with the adoption.
Foster Family Support
The adoption process took almost a year include several COVID-19 related delays. Finally, on June 19th the children legally became part of the family via a Zoom court session.
Paige couldn’t help but give credit to her children’s foster family for their help. She gushed, “We had a really amazing transition process with our kid’s foster parents. They have helped transition many children to adoptive homes and having them as our guides during this process was truly amazing! I am not sure if it would have been so smooth had we not all been able to work as a team with the best interest of the kids in mind.”
Zero to 100
So much of Paige’s life has changed. She tells us all about her home with two toddlers.
“Our life has changed drastically since we started this journey. We went from zero to two kids very quickly. Any parent of toddlers will tell you how hectic toddlerhood can be and we dove in headfirst. Our first year was full of transitions, potty training, big kid beds, and more but we are so thankful for all we have been through.”
For those interested in pursuing a free adoption through foster care, Paige offer this advice,
“My advice to any pre-adoptive family would be to do everything with your children’s best interest in mind but to also be willing to be vulnerable and learn. We entered into a transracial adoption and that has required us to ask questions, to learn, and grow to be able to best support our kids. This process will be ongoing and at times is uncomfortable. However, it is our job as their parents to do the work so that they can be best supported in our home. At the end of the day, it is not about us it is about them.”
In Conclusion
In conclusion, we want to thank Paige and her family for sharing how they grew their family for free through a foster care adoption. For those interested in learning more about the costs of adopting, check out our adoption calculator HERE.
