FEATURE STORY
Edition No. 1 January 6, 2009
LOCAL WOMAN ADOPTS SEVENTEEN YEAR-OLD GIRL
Lucky for me, I did not have to look very far for my first story. This story comes from my own family. My sister-in-law, Jennifer, decided that she would like to adopt a child. Why is this newsworthy? you ask. Don't people adopt children everyday in this country? Yes, they do. However, Jennifer decided that she wanted to adopt a teenager. In fact, she ended up adopting a seventeen year-old girl from Texas. Jennifer has resided in Summit County for most of her 38 years and has a daughter, Morgan (11) and a son, Evan (8). Jennifer owns an adoption agency located in Copley, Ohio which has placed over 1,500 children in adoptive homes since the year 2000. Therefore, Jennifer is keenly aware of the need for adoptive parents for older children in group homes or foster homes around the country. The sad fact is that there are thousands of children waiting to be adopted from foster homes and group homes throughout the country. Jennifer had always wanted a teenage daughter and just could not wait for Morgan to get there, and she wanted to improve the life of a child, so she began searching for an older child to adopt.
Grace was first removed from the care of her biological parents when she was seven (7) and bounced around between other relatives and her parents until she was thirteen (13). When she was thirteen (13), Grace's biological parent's rights were terminated by the State of Texas and she was placed in foster care. She stayed in foster care and various group homes for the next four (4) years. When Jennifer first met Grace in late 2007, Grace had braces that were not being tightened as needed, she had a stress fracture in her leg that was untreated and she had never learned to ride a bicycle.
Unfortunately, Grace’s story is not unlike many other children who have been in the foster care system or have parents that are unable to properly care for them. Grace was a little different than many children in her situation in that she desperately wanted to be adopted so that she could have a stable family and someone to call Mom. Most children in Grace's situation have convinced themselves that they will never be adopted. However, as you can imagine, the likelihood of being adopted at Grace’s age are extremely remote. If she had not been adopted, she would have aged out of the system and been on her own when she turned eighteen basically left to fend for herself.
Jennifer was able to finalize Grace’s adoption prior to her eighteenth birthday and I have come to know Grace over the last year that she has been a member of my family and she is wonderful person who just needed an opportunity to thrive in a nurturing home environment. Grace now has a job and has graduated high school and is enjoying her new-found freedom. Much to her chagrin, she has discovered that cell phones are not free.
In the past year, Grace has traveled to Europe with Jennifer, gone on camping trips and other family excursions. The adjustment has not always been easy but Jennifer has shown the dedication to Grace necessary to form a healthy bond and has given Grace the structure and support that she needs to grow into a responsible adult. Grace appreciates all that Jennifer has done for her, but what she enjoys most is the feeling she gets from knowing that she is loved and has someone to call Mom. Jennifer even bought Grace a used car for graduation (and it sits idle in the driveway.) I recommended to Grace that she learn how to ride a bike first! Turns out she was a natural bike rider, but not so much behind the wheel of a car.
Jennifer and Grace
