Unexpected Blessings

Meet Matthew and Amy, and their five children, Jordan, Emma, Chloe, Crosby and Liam. They have a full and active life with work, owning several businesses, school, sports and everything else that keeps families on the move.

There was a time, though, when Matthew and Amy’s family looked very different. Back when they were a family of four and Jordan and Emma were much younger, they began to feel a calling to foster. They were grateful for the ways God had blessed their family and felt compelled to share those blessings with others.

Yet, the decision to foster didn’t happen overnight; it took time. Matthew says, “God spoke to us in a bunch of different ways.” The couple couldn’t ignore the messages they were hearing about children needing families or the Scripture they studied in the Bible.

They started the process to become foster parents, but before they completed all of the steps they became pregnant with their third child and realized they’d need to wait. When Crosby was about a year old, Matthew and Amy resumed the process.

About a week after they were verified by PCHAS as foster parents, the first child was placed in their home. She stayed for several weeks before returning to her birth family. A couple of months later, Chloe and Liam joined the family. The goal for the sister and brother was reunification, which meant Matthew and Amy would provide a safe, loving, nurturing family for the kids to experience normalcy while their birth family worked to make their home and family environment safe.

The couple was aware that foster placements can turn into adoptions, but they focused their hearts and minds on being family for the children and cheering for, rather than against, their birth family.  When it was decided the kids could not go back home, the family bond was strong and it wasn’t hard for Matthew and Amy to say “yes” to adoption. Matthew, Amy, Jordan, Emma and Crosby became a forever family for Chloe and Liam, and they couldn’t be happier.

Today, they are a busy and thriving family of seven. When asked what advice they’d share with families thinking about adopting or fostering, Amy encouraged families to enter the process with their eyes wide open, “don’t be naïve; it’s going to be a lot of work.” She also encouraged families to build up a support network of people willing and able to help with babysitting and other types of support.

Amy and Matthew are grateful for the relationships they developed with the workers from PCHAS and CPS that helped their family. Everyone communicated well, and they are especially grateful for a CPS worker who still stays in contact with Chloe.

Matthew and Amy’s goal was to “just help some kids” and their story is a great example of the incredible things God can do when families heed His call.

Do you want to share your blessings with children who need family? We’d love to get to know you. Connect with a PCHAS Foster Care & Adoption Guide at 281-324-0544 or fosteradopt@pchas.org.