Today we chat with Lashay and her husband about becoming adoptive parents to a family member. Sometimes foster care doesn’t have to be provided by complete strangers. There is a process known as kinship care which allows for family members to care for children when their biological parents can’t. That is exactly what Lashay Butler and her husband did. Actually, their journey of becoming adoptive parents began long before they even married.

The Start of Becoming Adoptive Parents

Only about 5 months into living with each other the couple received notice that Lashay’s husband’s two nephews needed placement. At this point, the couple hadn’t even discussed having kids together let alone fostering. They decided that they could take them in and on September 29, 2011, they received the boys. In just a matter of hours, they went from just a couple to a family of four.

Everything seemed new to everyone. The children received a new home and the couple became parents almost overnight. Nonetheless, they figured it all out as a family. They grew together and learned to love one another. On February 26, 2014, the couple finalized the adoption and officially added Colton and Hayden to their family!

Falling in Love

A few years later, in 2018, the family learned that the boy’s birth mother was pregnant again. This time the decision didn’t come as easy as the first time. The family felt as though they didn’t have the right resources and capability to take in a third child. Though, when they met Jaxon they did fall in love with him.

Becoming Foster Parents Again

Jaxon’s grandparents took him in and cared for him as long as they could. Unfortunately, his grandfather passed away a year later and his grandmother just couldn’t care for him by herself. At this point, the family knew they had the capability of stepping in and caring for him. So in April of 2019, they officially began fostering him.

This time everything seemed easier. Everything was new with their first two boys. They all learned together as they went on. But their new son just fit in. They knew what to do and prepared the best they could.

Happiness Ahead

Being able to start a family has been a blessing and through the years of going through the process, the family learned a few things. They learned to never give up even when the end isn’t even in sight. The paperwork seems endless but the happiness of starting a family is more than worth it. Don’t be afraid to try because there is a learning curve, but there are countless resources you can look for. And always depend on each other because that is what family is for.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, we’d like to thank Lashay and her husband for sharing their journey of becoming adoptive parents. Such a great story about the diversity of families. For those interested in starting the adoption process, check out our adoption calculator for more info on the process.