Brandy first saw the impact of growing up without a permanent family as a child, when she found out that one of her best friends was in foster care.
“Getting to know someone in the foster care system and watching how she got bounced around between homes really stuck with me and made me want to adopt to make a difference in someone else’s life,” Brandy explains.
Years later, in 2018, Brandy and her husband, Dan, finally felt like they were in a good place to make that difference. Brandy was an established nurse practitioner, Dan was settled into his career, and their four-year-old daughter, Betsy, was excited for a new sibling. However, as their family started taking the first steps, it quickly became clear that they would need an advocate to not get lost in the shuffle.
“After the first state training, we realized the state’s adoption resources were overwhelmed and we saw the value in working with Boys & Girls Aid to ensure strong advocacy and support,” Dan explains.
After choosing to adopt with the help of Boys & Girls Aid, the family was paired with Karl, one of the agency’s foster care adoption clinicians. While Brandy and Dan knew they would have guidance through every requirement and support throughout the process, they didn’t expect to partner with someone quite as dedicated as Karl.
“I kind of became a friend to the family,” Karl remembers. “My role is really about helping the family learn where their strengths lie and understand where their abilities are so they could approach everything with a little more confidence.”
Karl’s perspective proved especially valuable through the matching process. In March 2020, the family wasn’t selected in their first adoption committee. Just a few days later, the COVID-19 pandemic brought everything to a halt. During these intense moments of uncertainty, the family was able to lean on Karl for perspective and reassurance.
“What I admired about Dan and Brandy is that they never wavered in their desire to adopt from foster care,” Karl says. “This process can be tough, and it can take a long time, but when the right match is made it’s a moment of intense joy, gratitude, and hope for the future.”
After three years of waiting, the right moment finally arrived. Brandy and Dan were matched with Jonah, a 15-month-old in foster care. The caseworker selected them not only for their enthusiasm and readiness, but also because their family’s strengths were perfectly suited to Jonah’s unique needs. Their new son would need extra support recovering from early health setbacks, and Brandy’s medical background meant she and Dan knew what steps to take to get him the care he needed.
“We’re so thankful to have been matched with a kid like Jonah. He’s fit into our lives so seamlessly and everything has just been good.”
“It hasn’t always been a walk in the park, but he’s worth every phone call, every doctor’s appointment, every therapist appointment,” Brandy explains. “It’s worth it to see the person he’s becoming and to help him reach his full potential.”
Today, Jonah is a bubbly six-year-old who loves playing with Legos, riding his bike, and practicing soccer with his now teenage sister. A bona fide social butterfly, Jonah has become the unofficial narrator for his family’s life together – constantly recounting funny stories, crafting clever inside jokes, and offering his take on every little moment. The family is still in touch with Karl to this day, occasionally sending him photos and updates.
“We’re so thankful to have been matched with a kid like Jonah,” Brandy says. “He’s fit into our lives so seamlessly and everything has just been good.”
Right now, in Oregon, more than 50 children in foster care are waiting to find a permanent family through adoption. While many prospective parents want to adopt from foster care,finding a way through the lengthy, complex system without help is nearly impossible. This is why generations of families have turned to Boys & Girls Aid for support and advocacy going through the process.
This National Adoption Month, you can help connect children in foster care like Jonah with loving families. Your donation to Boys & Girls Aid helps ensure children and youth can build lifelong stability through connections to loving families, supportive adults, and nurturing environments.