Sadly, many kids and teenagers spend years of their lives in foster care without ever being adopted by the forever family they deserve.
The National Foster Youth Institute estimates that more than 23,000 children in the US will reach the age at which they are no longer eligible for foster care each year. Numerous of these kids will become homeless.
Akyra feared that after being in foster care for ten years, or 3,739 days, she might end up with one of these dreadful statistics.
She had been in 24 different foster homes by the time she met Katie Holstein, a single mother from Kentucky who had fostered 16 children since 2017. Since 2017, Katie has been enabling kids.
I began working on the procedure to become a licensed foster parent in January 2017. I was becoming tired of seeking for Mr. Right, who would make it possible for me to have a family of my own,” Katie said in a statement to Love What Matters.
I had been eager to start fostering for a very long time in order to reunite some families and finally be able to say “yes” to forever.
Katie had never fostered a kid older than six years old until getting a call from her “favorite social worker” with a particular request for Akyra.
“I know you’ve never worked with teenagers, but I need your assistance with this girl. Although she is great, she and her foster family need some alone time. What if it were only for the weekend?
When she is with Katie, Akyra, 16, who goes by the nickname Okra, stays with her for a week and a few more brief breaks and stays with Katie until her placement is through.
Since she already had five foster children living in her home under the age of five, Katie was unable to accept a sixth full-time child.
Because she saw how important it was for Akyra to have a place to call home while still a high school student, Katie made it possible for her to spend as much time with her as possible.
After being Katie’s friend for more than a year, the small girl finally had the courage to challenge her. Akyra questioned what she really thought about the practice of adopting teenagers.
“It was pivotal for her since she had total control over her choice. For a major chunk of her life, up until lately, she had had little say over where she should live.
Thus, three days before Akyra turned 17, Katie legally adopted daughter, completing the adoption.
Katie adopted Akyra when she was just six days old, and she raised Thomas, often known as Tiny until he was one year old. Zoom presided over the adoption ceremony. In addition to Akyra, Thomas, commonly known as Tiny, was adopted by Katie.
Because Akyra chose Katie to be her mother, Katie is well aware of her wonderful fortune.
“She took a risk on my family and me and agreed to be loved again, despite having spent a lot of time in foster care just to be let down.
Since I’m not a mother who exercises a lot of influence over my children, I accept that she has many of her own life experiences and points of view. Even though it was a learning curve for both of us, and we are still learning, the work was unquestionably worthwhile.
The narrative of how this couple made the decision to be together is truly heartwarming. This essay will demonstrate to others just how much love can be brought into your life when you take in a foster child.
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