The joy of adopting a teen is often overlooked. 80% of children adopted through foster care are under the age of seven. The older a child gets, the slimmer their chances of finding a forever gets. However, the 44th Circuit Court in Howell, Michigan, showed the community the true joy of adopting a teen. Chuck and Casey Edwards adopted their teen daughter Brie during Adoption Day.
Intention with Strong Intent
Three years ago Chuck and Casey became foster and emergency respite parents. Their new journey brought them their newly adopted daughter Brie. The Edwards fell hard for Brie and made it clear within a year of meeting her, that they planned to adopt her. In an interview with WYCD Radio Chuck said,
When we first met her she was scared, scarred and nearly broken after the most heinous abuse one can imagine. She had been in two different foster homes and had missed one hundred days of school.
Brie is now a complete different teen. Chuck and Casey tell WYCD about Brie’s cheerleading, her 3.5 GPA, plans for college, and perfect attendance.
Adoption Ceremony
November is National Adoption month and across the U.S. many counties hold large adoption ceremonies to celebrate the new families. Brie’s adoption took place during one of those ceremonies. Chuck shares how Brie is a “shining example of adopting teens is very important. The trend in adoption seems to be families looking for infants and there are plenty that need loving homes.
“Teens are the least likely to be adopted. Most people want a small child or an infant. The teens inevitably age out of the system if not adopted. They’re on their own without having a support system, without having a forever family. There have been a lot of people with this on this journey and they are all here today to celebrate this great day,” said Chuck.
“She’s given us such great purpose. We are proud to be her mom and dad.”
In Conclusion
In conclusion, we hope that more people consider adopting a teen. For those in the process of fostering to adopt, check out our free adoption day photography through our Framing Forever program.
