Unfortunately, no one took a girl into a forever family after she waited years to be adopted out of the foster care system. The 18-year-life old’s was abruptly altered when a family adopted her one day.
A young child who had endured years of rejection and loneliness was ultimately adopted into a loving home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Many young adults still require affection and support, even when children are no longer legally guardians after the age of 18.
One such teenager was Sadie Schmieg. She grew up without parents who could have supported her and helped her navigate the teen years.
Sadie never thought she’d find the family of her dreams, but this year she did. When Rachel and Blake Schmieg met Sadie, they already had four children and were proud parents.
The family promised to take care of her until she completed high school. But her stay quickly became indefinite. “We communicated our interest and willingness to adopt her if that was something that she wanted,” the father said.
Sadie was shocked and overcome with emotion. She remarked:
“I was amazed that someone who knew so little about me and wanted to be a part of my life and upbringing,” the author says.
The family is delighted to support Sadie now, even though they were unable to witness her first steps. We won’t miss a second of your life moving forward, Rachel vowed.
The parents had no prior experience raising adolescents. Their children are all younger than seven years old. They were prepared for the challenge, though. The father was aware of the weight of the obligation.
According to Blake, when you become a parent legally through adoption, you are responsible for all of their duties. The costs, the college-related items, the enjoyable times, and the sad days.
They faced a legal barrier that complicated the adoption procedure. According to South Dakota law, Sadie was too old to be adopted because she was over 18. The family decided to challenge this.
They altered the requirements and regulations by working with lawmakers. Since the official adoption took so long to complete, the victory was much the sweeter when it did.