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We would like to introduce our March child of the month: Hailee!

Hailee was delivered to us on a Monday afternoon straight from the hospital. She was our first newborn foster child, and we were super excited! I signed the papers quickly as we were headed to one of our teen’s basketball game. Yes, I toted her in as proud and excited as could be! She was a beautiful blue-eyed baby that a dear friend of mine referred to as a porcelain doll. Hailee had two siblings that were placed with us when she was a few weeks old. We loved them through the 1st year and went through the process of them going to their forever home when Hailee was 14 months old. This was a bitter sweet feeling, wonderful for them to be together in a forever family and tearing our hearts out to say goodbye. We packed them up, hugged them for what we thought would be the last time and said our goodbyes.

A few weeks went by and the worker called us to see if we could take Hailee and her brother, Joe back. The placement was blown and they needed us once again. We didn’t hesitate to bring them home. After just 3 months the Judge ordered them to be moved to the therapeutic home that the older sibling was in. Once again we said our goodbyes and moved them. A year later, the worker called and once again asked for us to take Hailee and Joe back in. We said we would but truly believed that God didn’t keep putting them here for us to keep saying goodbye, so we filed to adopt shortly after they came home for the third time.

Hailee has been our baby for 14 years. One of the sweetest moments I treasure with Hailee is when I asked her about adopting Reyna. She had been with our family almost a year and was one year younger than Hailee. I didn’t know how Hailee felt about making her part of the family and that she would take the youngest position in our family. She and Reyna were very close. I asked her to think about it, and she began to cry. I left her alone and later asked again. Her response to me was, the tears were not because I was upset about adopting her, they were because I couldn’t imagine life without her! My heart was full. Hailee is sweet, sassy, kind and funny. She is a very talented young lady and a good student. She is involved in cheer, gymnastics, basketball, hurdles, running, pole vault and long jump. She loves her youth group and hanging out with friends. She volunteers at LAFPA and summer camp at church helping with the kids. She has been a true blessing to us, and we are looking forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for her. -Submitted by Connie Scarbrough

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Our February Child of the Month is Katie Covington!

This beautiful 11 year old came to live with us when she was only two. We bonded to her right away. She was nonverbal at the time and very sad and tearful. We had 4 young sisters that we had recently adopted that took her under their wing and helped her along the way. Within a short time, she was laughing and talking and running and playing. What a joyful day it was when we were able to adopt her two years later. Katie is our beautiful angel. She loves her family, sports, mac and cheese, and music.
– Cartha Covington

📸 by: Tristan Jones

We would like to introduce Jake, our January Child of the Month:

Jake was the 7th child to be removed from his biological parents. Because of their past history, his biological mother never received prenatal care since she knew CPS would automatically be involved. She miraculously made it to 9 months without complications. Although she tested positive for drugs in her system at birth, Jake did not test positive for anything (proof, in my eyes, that God is very real and had big plans for this baby!)

On the day Jake was born (we were in the middle of our foster training) I had finally allowed myself to believe that we would eventually be placed with a child. So I went shopping and purchase a single pajama set in some random size just because they had pugs on them. (We have 3 pugs) This was my first ever kiddo related purchase and the first time I really felt like a mom. Fast forward 15 months later- those pajamas were the only clothes we had that would fit Jake. That was the first outfit he wore when he came to our house.

Jake’s biological parents “hid” from CPS for over a year which led to some medical complications for the baby. When he came to us at 15 months old, Jake had horrible skin infections, was diagnosed as legally deaf, and had major developmental delays. We were beyond blessed to have an amazing case worker, Ad Litem attorney, and social worker. They worked tirelessly to help get him the medical treatments he needed. Ultimately, both biological parents lost their rights and we adopted Jake on National Adoption Day, November 18th, 2016, which just happened to be my birthday. He is now a perfectly healthy little boy. His hearing was corrected. He is testing above average for children his age in state standardized tests. Jake came to us after praying for 7 years for a child, enduring 3 miscarriages, and undergoing numerous failed fertility treatments. I was terrified of being a foster parent, because I wasn’t sure that I could handle it if there had been a reunification – but God knew what he was doing. I just had to learn to trust in His timing.

– by Charlsa, foster parent and business owner

📸 by Tristan Jones

We would like to introduce you to our December Child of the Month- Mackenzie:

Roughly six years ago, we got “the call”—the call asking us to consider taking in a sweet girl that had just turned 6 years old. She needed a home, and this was her second time in care. “The final is tomorrow and chances are good she could need forever,” they said. After dealing with a couple of pretty intense teens, a sweet little girl was just what we needed and without hesitation (or calling Bucky for his opinion) I said “Absolutely! When will she be here?” This is a day I will always remember—our first semi-shy placement. She came in quietly and headed straight for her “new” room and waiting for her was a very impatient “new” sister. Caliegh played with her while I finished paperwork, and then we headed to town to get her some clothes and shoes, since she came with so little.

She requested Burger King, and we went to Old Navy where she was set free to find anything she wanted, which wound up being a purple jacket with a silver sequin star. From there we went to look for shoes, and she picked two pair of “bobs,” a pink and blue pair, and a silver pair of shoes. Mackenzie spent a little over two years in our home as a foster placement. Bio mom relinquished her rights, which is usually great right? Well it was—until we were notified that she appealed her own relinquishment. This dragged the process out for at least 6 months. We knew this girl was meant to be ours forever pretty early on. We were overjoyed when we were notified that her birth mother’s appeal had made it all the way up to the Supreme Court—and was DENIED! The relinquishment was upheld.

We officially added Mackenzie Grace Broadus on January 30, 2015. I am so glad we said yes to this precious girl! She has brought so much joy, love and sass. She is the perfect fit to our wild bunch!

-Terri Broadus, foster/adoptive parent

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Meet Liam, our November Child of the Month.

Liam is 5 years old and lives with his two Daddies, his adopted brother who is six, and two foster brothers who are two and four. Our house is full of stinky boys but there is lots of love.

Liam D. came into care early in 2015. The year 2015 was wild and crazy for us and also for Liam. We became foster parents in 2014 and our first placement was also named Liam. He was 12 months old. After living in our home for almost a year, Liam B. was moved to Oklahoma to live with family members. Even though we still had Emmitt in our home, our world was turned upside down when Liam B. was moved. We fought a long and costly battle, but the Man above had a different plan for us.

About one month after Liam #1 was moved, our agency called to see if we were ready for a new placement and they told us about Liam #2. He was about 23 months at the time and had been removed because his biological Mom had made some bad decisions. She was very young and did not have a good support system. She had been arrested and left Liam with a friend of hers to take care of him. This person did not take very good care of him, and law enforcement found drugs hidden in Liam’s stroller when they made a drug bust that included this friend. He was also bruised from head to toe and they were never able to determine who had hurt him.

When our agency called about Liam, we were still grieving the loss of Liam #1. and could not even say the name Liam without reliving the pain. After discussing this and deciding that the time was not right, we called our agency to tell them we decided against taking Liam. Our decision felt right but it didn’t feel right. After a few minutes we called back and we were told that a placement had been found within our agency. We told them if anything ever happened to him and if he ever needed a home to call us. Four months later, this is exactly what happened. They needed to find a new home for Liam and called us – we instantly said yes. We had time to heal and Emmitt needed a brother. We knew that this was meant to be.

Liam was 27 months old when he became part of our family. Things moved really fast from that point. After meeting his Mom a couple times and her seeing how much we loved Liam, she decided to sign over rights so that he could have the life he deserved, a life that she could not offer. On September 30, 2016, six short months after our first adoption, we adopted Liam Dean. While Caleb’s Closet was not around when Liam was adopted, they have provided clothing and other items for Liam, as well as our other adopted son and the many other children we have fostered over the years.

-Story submitted by Shane Moran, Caleb’s Closet Treasurer. He and husband Adam have adopted two sons and have fostered 15 other children ranging in ages from 12 months – nine years over the past 4 ½ years.