Joey was unsafe at home. His biological parents were not able to care for him, and he wasn’t attending school consistently. A judge ordered that Joey be placed in the foster care system. At 10 years old, he was on his own.
Do you want to help a child like Joey? Donate to support the services that help place kids in forever homes or become a foster family.
Like a lot of kids in foster care, Joey bounced around for a couple years. He stayed at temporary homes and shelters. It was difficult for him. He was missing a loving, stable family. But that changed.
Robert and I were introduced to Joey through his picture. We had become a foster family with The Children’s Home & Lemieux Family Center, and they shared his profile. He had this big smile on his face, and we just fell in love with him. When we finally met Joey in person, we were nervous (so was he!), but it felt right. An hour later, he said he thought we’d make a good forever family.
We opened our home to Joey, and he opened his heart to us. We knew we had a son we wouldn’t trade for the world. He could finally be a kid, a freedom he’d never had before — and that was exciting. He loved it.
But most of all, Joey loves us. He loves having a family. And when the decision came to finalize an adoption with Joey, there was no question: flat out yes.
The Children’s Home played a huge part in bringing our family together. Without them, we wouldn’t have Joey. And we couldn’t think of what life would be like without him now.
Before we did this letter, we asked Joey if it was OK to share his adoption story. While the spotlight isn’t really his style (or ours), he said if it helped other kids like him find families, then the answer was yes.
It only takes one person — or a single family — to help a child in need find a loving, forever family. We hope you’ll help out. But if you do, do it for Joey. He’ll thank you for it.
Sincerely,
Robert, Jess, and Joey Black
#FundorFoster and help a child, just like Joey, today. Give to support the nonprofit services that create forever home or learn more about adopting from foster care.
