This is the second story in our success stories series and comes to us from one of our home finders, our staff who recruit and certify West Virginia adults to become foster families.

“This story begins a little over a year ago in early summer. KVC received a call from a state worker with the Department of Health and Human Resources who was looking for a special family for an infant child who was not a month old yet. “Baby K” was hospitalized in a specialized care unit for infants born addicted to drugs as his body contained high amounts of several different narcotics. The hospital where he was born could not treat him so he was transported out of state to a specialized care unit that could meet his medical needs.

Click here to learn more about becoming a foster parent.

The mother stopped visiting the child in the hospital and the state needed a foster parent to go to the hospital to visit him regularly, bond with the child, and learn how to care for him. (At this time the permanency plan for the child was to be reunified with the mother as soon it as it was safe, but the child was to be in foster care for the time being.) The KVC home finder recommended a family where the woman was a nurse and did not live that far away from the out-of-state medical facility where the child was placed. The foster parent was willing to make the visits with the child, learn how to care for him and take him into her home when he was released from the hospital. She and her husband visited with him for approximately one month before he was released.

After being placed in the couple’s home, an array of services were put in place including “Birth to Three” services and physical therapy. The child also received frequent and regular follow-up care and medical treatment for his developmental delays. KVC case managers also worked diligently with the parents and outside providers to ensure he received the best services possible. There were a lot of hurdles to jump, a lot of challenges to face, but it was all worth it in the long run. Baby K is now developmentally and medically on track.

After a while, it was clear that Baby K could not be safely reunited with his birth mother and so he needed an adoptive family. The foster family was very eager to make him a part of their family as they were unable to have a child of their own. They had faced many heartaches themselves in their quest to be parents and make their home complete. The family filed to adopt the child and the adoption was finalized in July 2015.

The KVC home finder had the utmost privilege to witness and be present at the adoption hearing. The smiling faces, laughter, and tears cannot be described accurately with mere words. Everyone was very happy. Baby K was in his element, laughing, smiling and hugging everyone. His favorite word was “Today!” He won the best prize of all – a family to love him unconditionally for the rest of his life.”

We are thankful for our staff and foster/adoptive families who provide stable and caring homes for children on both a short- and long-term basis. If you are interested in learning more about becoming a KVC West Virginia foster or adoptive parent (more often the needs are for teenagers and sibling groups rather than infants), please find more information here.

Are you interested in helping children and teens in need by becoming a foster parent? Find out if fostering is a good fit for you and your family by downloading this free questionnaire!