Honestly, I didn't know the exact date she was placed in our home. Those become a blur to me. However, I do remember well the calls and requests to take a teenager into our home when we weren't licensed for that age. I also recall taking placement of her at a gymnastics center. How she had a few belongings with her yet not nearly everything she wanted.
Placement at 16 and adopted at 17, it was quick but necessary to give her a family she could go to as an adult. Having a family is not only important as a child but as an adult as well. Kassi lives closer and now has a car so we see her a lot more often. We have many more impromptu lunches and conversations. I expect that there will be a lot of support necessary when she has her baby.
Teenage adoption has it's challenges. It is hard to change habits by time they are teens. However, it can also be very rewarding. I wish that we had gotten Kassi when she was younger. Mainly because I would have liked to have longer to build our relationship while she was living at home. However, that didn't happen. The beauty of life is relationship building doesn't end at 18, we are still building our relationship. Relationships are still growing among siblings as well. Sarah said that she feels much closer to Kassi now than when she was living at home. She enjoys spending time with her more than ever.
If you are contemplating fostering an older child go for it. Go into it with your eyes wide open. You just never know what child will walk through the door. It just very well may be your future child.
Love you Kassi (I know she reads my blog)
Trying to be patient while we wait for the state to find our csp background check we submitted in June and the finger prints that we've had done twice now! I was really hoping to have our teen in our home by now. I think she has an inkling that we are the ones who want to foster-adopt her.
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