Erika’s Foster to Adoption Journey
Rebuilding with Love: A Mom’s Journey Through Foster Care and Adoption
After fostering for two years, a family of eight, led by fearless foster mom Erika, is about to ‘Say Yes’ to adopting her two foster kids.
This Bay City family has been busy. They are doing it all—serving as foster parents, guardians, biological parents, and relative caregivers, and raising six kids under six years old.
The crew includes two biological children, three foster children (two of whom are in the process of being adopted), and one under guardianship. Life is busy, beautiful, and often chaotic—but it’s also filled with purpose.
Navigating life with six children, each carrying their own story and history, has taught her more than she ever imagined. Every day is a blend of joy and grief, triumph and tenderness.
Erika will never forget their very first night after accepting placement. In the whirlwind of welcoming new little ones into their home, their Samaritas licensing worker sent a DoorDash gift card.
“It might sound simple, but in that moment, it was everything. It relieved the stress of dinner and reminded them that they weren’t alone,” said Erika. “That small gesture of care meant more than they could probably ever imagine.”
Since that day, their Samaritas licensing worker has offered unwavering support by joining Erika and in mandatory meetings with the biological family, advocating for them, and being a light in the darker moments.
“Our workers’ supportive phone calls and kind, listening ear have meant the world to us,” said Erika.
Adoption Through Foster Care
Children from Michigan’s foster care system who cannot be raised by their birth parents can remain with foster parents for several days, weeks, or months – perhaps even a year or longer – while birth parents are working to resolve the issues that brought the children into care in the first place.
Sometimes, when foster kids are unable to return home, it is then that the court terminates parental rights, and the foster child becomes available for adoption. Adoptive parents become the child’s legal parent with the help of organizations like Samaritas.
Erika was adopted as an infant and takes the process personally. She recognizes and champions the modern approach to adoption rather than what she experienced as a child.
From what she recalls, “The adoption journey was closed. It was a cold, straightforward process that was quickly finalized without direct contact between either the birth or adoptive families. This was typical years ago.”
By working through Samaritas, she’s smoothly navigating the adoption through foster care process and is currently finalizing the adoption of her two foster children with a healthy collaboration with the children’s biological parents.
In it Together
As a foster parent, Erika earnestly worked with Samaritas to reunite her foster kids with their biological mother. She made sure that their mom was part of their lives and developed a loving co-parenting relationship based on respect.
“We supported her, prayed for her, and saved every piece of artwork and school project to share with her,” said Erika. “The two of us exchanged photos and updates about the kids often. She gave them parts of their story that might have otherwise been lost. The stories that she shared help them understand who they are and where they come from.”
Erika’s personal relationship with the biological parents made it easier to tell her foster kids that their biological parents’ rights were terminated. It eliminated any potential animosity from the children. And because a genuine relationship had been built, they trusted Erika with the deep love their biological parents had for them.
“Children born to another woman call me ‘Mommy.” The magnitude of that tragedy, and the depth of that privilege, are never lost on me.”
As a foster and soon-to-be adoptive parent, her hope has never been to replace, but to rebuild. To create permanence out of uncertainty, and to meet every child with unwavering, unconditional love.
November is Adoption Awareness Month
November is Adoption Awareness Month and a reminder about the hundreds of 500 foster kids in Michigan’s Foster Care system in need of adoptive parents.
Samaritas is encouraging those who want to adopt to work with Legacy Adoption Services (LAS) to give a child a ‘forever home.’ Prospective parents and other advocates are encouraged to visit LASAdoption.org to explore the process.
LAS is one of Michigan’s largest private adoption providers. Facilitating adoptions from foster care since 1977, LAS began as a collaboration between Samaritas and Wellspring Lutheran Services and has grown over the years to include adoptions from the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.
Services offered through LAS include adoptive parent support group sessions, specialized parenting training, family matching and recruitment program, and dollars for minor home projects to help adoptive parents meet licensing regulations. Funds also cover student camps and sports team fees, birthday gifts, and special needs items for youth awaiting adoption.