Article By: Dee Jones, President of Light 2 World, Inc.

I was never adopted into a family. When I was 3 months old, my birth mother died during an epileptic seizure. She asked my aunt to raise me; this was her dying wish. Thus, I was “a ward of the state”.

A “ward of the state” is a “child who, as determined by the State where the child resides, is a foster child and is in the custody of a public child welfare agency.” I was blessed with an aunt who kept her promise to my mother. My foster mom (Aunt Nancy) raised me in a loving home and taught me to love the Lord and serve others. I watched my foster Mom take care of many people throughout her life of seventy plus years.

I grew up and followed in her footsteps. I’ve fostered several children short-term and long-term. Some of them had special needs and faced numerous challenges.

My husband and I had guardianship of our foster children until they reached adulthood; one child was returned to their biological parent. Guardianship is a legal relationship between the guardian and the child. The guardian assumes day to day parental responsibilities for the child, yet the birth parents still have legal rights of the child.

In my case, both biological parents were deceased, and I remained with my aunt long-term. Both adoption and guardianship require a formal court hearing.

Have you ever considered foster care or adoption? Fostering a child is quite rewarding and can pave the way to adoption for your family.

Adoption can be a lengthy process, and many aspects must be considered. Some cases may require a lawyer, and others have a court advocate assigned.

In some courts, an adoption ceremony is scheduled when your adoption is finalized. During my research, I discovered that each court had its own way of commemorating this day. Most Maryland courts allow a few family members to attend. You can have a videographer and/or a photographer record the event. Family may bring gifts, balloons, bubbles, and/or confetti.

Adoption is not for everyone, but for us it is a very special blessing. I am reminded that “God decided in advance to adopt us in his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ… (New Living Translation).

I am so grateful for my aunt who took care of me and set in motion a legacy of caring for others. Adoption is a gift that keeps on giving.

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