The Story of Valor and Levi: Anxiously Waiting

Part 5 February-May 2013

They told the birth mom if she did not find housing for the children within the next two months they would change the primary goal to adoption instead of reunification. 

Although the boys were not officially ours we were a family. Valor and Levi began calling us Mama and Daddy and were loving being in our home. I began to tell family and friends that we were planning to adopt the boys. Everyone seemed thrilled! We were the happiest parents on earth. I can't begin to describe the joy these boys brought to us. 

Valor began to understand more and more about why he was in foster care and what adoption meant. We did not intentionally tell him that we were hoping to adopt him, but we said yes when he asked if we wanted to adopt them. He came to us one day, though, and said he wanted us to adopt him. He struggled with the fact that he loves his birth mother dearly but he also loves us. We all struggled with the uncertainty of the future of our family.

We were so hopeful about adopting the boys throughout these months. The CASA had concerns about the birth mother and from what I was hearing, she did not sound stable enough to care for four little ones. This was very sad, but at the same time it gave us hope that they would become adoptable.

On April 2, 2013 a Permanency Conference was held for the children. We were able to attend via conference call. We learned more things about the children's history and the progress the birth mother was making. She had taken the required classes, but still had not secured appropriate housing and beds for the children. The CPS supervisor and the children's attorney spoke up and said some things that the birth mom needed to hear. Then, they told her if she did not find housing for the children within the next two months they would change the primary goal to adoption instead of reunification. 

Two months! We anxiously awaited the news and when people asked how the adoption process was coming I told them we should find out if it is even possible in June. Summer could not come fast enough!

Other Parts to The Story of Valor and Levi
Part 1 Back to the Beginning
Part 2 Creating an Unstoppable Bond
Part 3 The Honeymoon Ends
Part 4 Adoption?
Part 6 Hope Delayed