Kristina and Maeve were excited to start their journey as parents and be a resource to a child in need. They quickly learned the beauty and struggles of parenthood when they foster-adopted a beautiful baby girl named Coco. And although they had to adjust to their new life, parenthood was better than anything they ever imagined.
Soon after deciding they were ready to foster a child, a friend referred Kristina and Maeve to Children’s Bureau. They signed up for the 6-week Saturday training classes and just 1 week after completing their training, they received a phone call.
They met the matchmaker who would pair them with a child at the hospital where Coco was born. And just like that, they were resource parents to a little girl.
Kristina and Maeve fostered Coco for one year. Luckily, they were prepared for everything they faced. When they had questions, their Children’s Bureau caseworkers were there to answer them. If they had concerns, they looked back at the research and course material they learned in the training. They remember being told to “draw your ideal situation on a paper. And then rip it up.” And this was a great exercise because “Even with all of this training, the fostering experience wasn’t what we imagined…but it was different in a much better way,” said Kristina.
After that one year of fostering, they started the adoption process. By then, they had built a community that would help them through the process. “We felt supported every step of the way. We couldn’t have felt more prepared,” said Maeve.
Kristina and Maeve wanted to be the best parents they could and utilized all of the resources they were offered. Today, Coco is a thriving, outgoing 9-year old. She enjoys making YouTube videos, playing with friends, and she is passionate about normalizing adoption. When asked what she wants people to know about adoption Coco said, “There’s a lot of conversations about dogs and pet adoptions. But it’s not only animals that are important. This is important too.”
If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of foster care and helping a child in need, contact our team to learn more about our foster care agency and family services.