JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — More than a dozen children found their forever homes just ahead of Mother’s Day on Friday.
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Standing with friends and family, Amy Standard’s dream to become a mom came true.
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“I am just excited to be a mom, that’s all I’ve ever wanted to be,” Amy said.
Amy and her husband Christopher first met 14-year-old Carmen and 11-year-old Aiden last November.
“When we got out and met them it became like an instant connection,” Christopher said.
Carmen and Aiden were in the foster care system for 1,549 days, and on Friday they said yes to a forever family at the Duval County Courthouse.
With the help of Family Support Services, they were just one of 8 families adopting 16 children.
The president of Family Support Services said these adoptions are special for all ages but for teens, it can make a huge difference in their lives
“Kids still need families even when they are adults, for them it means they have someone to walk through life with, it’s not about just parenting them until their 18, it’s about that forever,” Jenn Petion, the family support services CEO & president said.
While there are still about 300 children currently awaiting adoption in Duval and Nassau counties, as a new mom Amy, has a message.
“I highly recommend,” Amy said. “It’s the best feeling ever.”
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For more information on how to foster or adopt a child in care, go to familysupport.org.