LSG Foster Parents Welcome Triplets Home
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For Sean and Adrienne, the past two years have been a whirlwind of bottles and diapers. While keeping up with three 2-year-olds is no easy feat, the couple wouldn’t have it any other way. The foster parents welcomed triplets – two boys and one girl - into their home in 2014, and the toddlers will soon become a permanent part of their family.
“We didn’t expect triplets, and we certainly were not looking for them and yet they seem to bring the right kind of madness into our world,” says Adrienne.
Though the couple bravely chose to welcome three premature babies into their home, they did not make the initial decision to become foster parents lightly. After being encouraged by a friend who was a foster parent, Sean and Adrienne began to consider fostering through Lutheran Services of Georgia. Initially they rejected the idea, thinking that fostering wasn’t for them. They had no children of their own, and the stories of the trials and challenges scared them.
“Like many, I was nervous about opening my home to strangers,” says Adrienne. “I had stereotypes of what types of children come into the foster care system. I was unsure about letting go of my freedom. However, our whole perception changed after attending a foster parent orientation.”
As they learned more about LSG’s Specialized Foster Program, Sean and Adrienne warmed to the idea. Once they learned that foster parents have input into which children were placed in their home, they felt more at ease. Then they found out about LSG’s matching process, which places a child in the home best equipped to care for that particular child’s needs. Through the orientation, they learned about the great care that goes into each child’s placement and about the support that LSG offers its foster parents.
The couple was deeply moved by the stories of children in DFCS custody and decided to take the plunge.
“Some people have asked us what benefit there is in fostering a child,” says Adrienne. “I reply that it’s knowing that you’re doing what you can to make a difference in a child’s life.”
After being approved to be foster parents, the couple started out providing respite services to other LSG foster parents. In 2014, they received a call about the triplets. The babies were born premature at 32 weeks gestation, and needed to remain in the hospital until they were healthy and strong enough to be discharged. While the triplets were in the hospital, Sean and Adrienne visited the babies often – giving them a chance to bond with the children. During that time, the hospital staff was able to train them in how to care for premature babies. After 30 days, they were able to take them home.
Adrienne and Sean both supported the plan to eventually reunite the babies with their birth parents and cooperated with DFCS and the birth parents. When the birth parents chose to voluntarily terminate their rights, the Adrienne and Sean decided to adopt them. Soon, the triplets will officially be members of their family.
“Some might feel we are a blessing for them, but honestly we think they are a blessing for us. They remind us every day what’s really important in life – family,” says Adrienne. “Fostering is not for everyone. The challenges and struggles are real, but for a person who can make room, it’s well worth it. "
