Mid-Florida
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The journey to Zoe
Tina and Hiram were joyful parents of a beautiful daughter, and they dreamed of sharing their love and guidance with more children. But their hopes of growing their family quickly went on hold when Tina struggled to become pregnant again.
Unsure of where to turn, they looked to their community church for advice and support, finding guidance one Sunday morning through their pastor's sermon. He shared a story about an old man searching for wealth … he decided to sell his house and travel the country to find riches. Though the old man never found what he was looking for, the new owners of his former property found gold hidden deep in the ground.
Finding inspiration through the parable, Tina and Hiram decided to expand their family by adopting a child from their own backyard, the Mid-Florida community. They contacted Children's Home Society of Florida to learn more about the process and devotedly dove into their 10-week Model Approach to Partnership and Parenting (MAPP) class required of all prospective adoptive parents.
After finishing MAPP classes, Tina and Hiram met 3-year old Zoe; she immediately connected with Tina, Hiram and big sister Adriana. Although Zoe had a frightening past, she had very few behavior issues, and her spunky personality stole the hearts of her new family. "Perceptions of adopting foster care children can be so wrong," Tina says. "Rather than trying to understand tragedies that brought children into foster care, some people assume youth in foster care have done something to be placed there." Tina's family now proactively tries to dissolve any negative perceptions about children in foster care.
Tina and Hiram are also spreading the word about the benefits of adopting children from foster care. Expenses are nominal, and medical and legal fees are generally reimbursed by the state of Florida; Children's Home Society of Florida covers costs that occur at the time of finalization. Further, children adopted through foster care are covered under Medicaid until age 18 and are eligible for state-funded college scholarships. As we celebrate National Adoption Month in November, there’s never been a better time to learn about the hundreds of children in Florida waiting for their own forever family.
Tina, Hiram, Adriana and Zoe couldn't be happier. They cherish family time and love traveling, playing games and going to church. Big sister Adriana even created a family song expressing her love for her new little sister, who she affectionately calls "nugget."
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