Many children in foster care that are waiting for adoption are sibling sets. By adopting siblings from foster care, Jeremy and his wife, Sarah, ensured that three brothers would not be separated from each other.
My wife, Sarah, and I have talked about adoption for the 26 years we have been together — her brother was adopted from South Korea. As a military family with constant moving between military bases, we didn’t think that we would have the stability to get through the adoption process before we would have to move again.
Adopting Siblings from Foster Care
Once I retired from the military three years ago, we finally began to actively pursue adoption. We have always had a big family so we thought that we should consider adopting siblings rather than just one child.
We completed our initial paperwork for adoption, and then waited – for months – but weren’t matched with any sibling groups. Then we were asked if we would consider foster care. — three brothers were in foster care but not yet legally free for adoption. By adopting siblings from foster care, it keeps siblings from being separated and split up.
While this route would not guarantee adoption, after much prayer and consideration, along with many questions, we said YES and welcomed the brothers into our home.
Photo by amyelizabethquinnFoster families cannot anticipate everything that will be required of them during the adoption process. We have had difficult times. There have been times when we didn’t all get along. There are many challenges that we didn’t expect along the way. But there has never been any wavering in our commitment to have these precious children as part of family.
My wife Sarah has been home with some or all of these children for 21 straight months. All day, every day. Rarely ever getting a break. She takes care of the boys, takes them to their appointments, and advocates for the services that they require. She has done all of this and still had a home to manage, other kids to raise, and is still able to find time for me. I think her day has at least 36 hours in it, but somehow, by the grace of God, she is able to make it all work. Sarah’s love is truly the glue that keeps this family together and the oil that keeps it running smoothly.
Faith in Adoption
This unrelenting commitment to these children comes from a deep place in our belief system. According to Scripture, God adopted us, Christians, as children into God’s family.
- Having an Eternal Father I can turn to at any time for help makes me want to be that for all 7 of our children.
- Having a Heavenly Father that has provided me with everything I need for life so I can provide for every child under my care.
- Having a loving Father that loves unconditionally reminds me that, even when it is hard, love will never run out for these boys.
Every day, I am learning how to love my sons better.
Today, I stand in Court testifying that Dominick, Matthew, and Ronen are forever members of our family.
Today we will celebrate a milestone. These boys are legally our sons and permanently part of our family. We will take pictures, have a special meal, and celebrate this date for years to come.
Today is just another step in our journey.
- Our journey of assimilation into a family.
- Our journey of discovering the skills and gifts that God has put into our boys.
- Our journey of understanding the endless love of God as we endeavor to love these children well.
Tomorrow we will keep moving, together, as a family, on this journey through life. There will be other mountains to climb, valleys to endure, and everything in between. We will make memories, make mistakes, and make-up. I will continue to love these boys with the love that God has shown to me. No matter what twists, turns, difficulties, or obstacles come along, we will always have enough love to overcome it.
We are a family.
Jeremy is the father of 4 biological children and 3 adopted sons. He and his wife, Sarah, fostered their sons for almost two years before adopting siblings.
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