When Becky and Nick DeTrempe married four years ago, they became a blended family with Becky’s two children, Joci (14) and Bill (13), and Nick’s son, Austin (18). Their life in Morton, Illinois was busy and rewarding, yet they wondered what it would be like to have more children. That conversation invariably turned to the
The Right Mother for The Right Child
Ambrosia loves cats, pageants and poking fun at her mother. Her ability to find joy in everyday things hasn’t come easily. She had an unstable early life, living in 15 different foster homes over eight years. It was a time Ambrosia describes as “scary.” When she was 13, Ambrosia’s life changed, thanks to a woman
Assembling the Puzzle Pieces of a Life
At 91, John Nightingale has few memories of his early life. Adopted at the age of three, he wonders about the circumstances surrounding his birth. Who were his parents? What circumstances led them to place him for adoption? John has always wanted to know what the name they had given him when he was born.
A Front Porch Adoption
Just after a judge declared the adoption of their two sons was official, Britni and Karl Lane took a photograph to celebrate and record the significant moment. The parents and the two boys, 3-year-old Oliver and 2-year-old Sullivan, are bundled up in coats and showing off big smiles. There’s neither a judge nor a courtroom
Roger TooGood | A Legacy Built on Compassion and Common Sense
It seems appropriate that a man named Roger Toogood believes that life is filled with opportunities “to do good.” As executive director of Children’s Home for almost 30 years, Roger was a visionary who found himself at the right place and at the right time to make a difference in the arena he was most
From Hosting to Adoption
In the spring of 2018, Ethan saw a post on Facebook about Kidsave, an organization that brings older children from Colombia to the United States through its Summer Miracles® Program. Children stay with host families to learn about U.S. culture and experience life with an American family. At the end of the visit, some families
Find Answers and Commonalities in Reunion
Katherine Norrie’s favorite story is about the day her parents, Forrest and Mary, adopted her. For years, the couple prayed for the chance to be parents. When they received a call in 1977 with news that a baby girl needed a permanent family, they drove to Minneapolis to pick her up. Friends heard the news
Grateful to Give Love
Michelle was born to her 16-year-old mother in an era when young women were kicked out of school for being pregnant. Michelle’s great-grandmother Flossie, whom she called Nana, took in baby Michelle to give her the best start in life and to allow her young mother the chance to pursue her education. Now living the
Waiting for Permanency
Christopher and Ronnie waited to fulfill their dreams of growing their family through adoption until they knew how to go about finding the children in their community who needed families. It was important to them that they adopt children in their own community who were in need of a forever home. One day, Christopher learned
A Journey to Sibling Adoption
High school sweethearts, Brooke and Brandon from Northwestern Minnesota, married and dreamed of having a big family. Heartbroken and disappointed after years of unsuccessful fertility treatments, they decided to move forward with adoption. An acquaintance, aware of the challenges Brooke and Brandon were experiencing, knew of a sibling group of four young boys in need
