HEART GALLERY OF PINELLAS

A FOREVER HOME WITH LOVE TO SPARE

By Patsy Stills, Director Gulf Coast JFCS Heart Gallery of Pinellas and Pasco Program

MEGHAN AND TRAVIS TEN BRINK WITH THEIR CHILDREN: KOBE, 12, CLARY, 10, AZARIA, 9, VIOLET, 7, RIVER, 7, NAOMI, 7, JUDE, 5, EZRA, 5, WILLOW, 4, OLIVE, 3, IVY, 2

Photo by Allie.Photo

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Join the Gulf Coast JFCS Heart Gallery of Pinellas and Pasco’s Streaming Live Event, Saturday, Nov. 14 from 6-7 p.m. For more details check out gulfcoastjewishfamilyandcommunityservices.org/heartstrings/

WHY AND WHEN DID YOU DECIDE TO ADOPT FOSTER CHILDREN?

My husband Travis and I always knew we wanted to foster. I have two sisters who were adopted. They were 10 and 11 when they came into our lives and had been in foster care for six years. Because of my childhood, I was very familiar with the benefits of fostering and adoption.

We married, had babies and put off the idea of fostering until after our fourth child. It was now our time, our moment. We started fostering with no intention of adopting. At that time, our hearts were in and build relationships with

reunification of the child with their birth parent(s). After three foster children, our minds changed when we met siblings Jude and Naomi. We adopted them both. With 21 foster children coming through our home, we knew we accomplished we were introduced to Kobe, who was featured on the Heart Gallery. We felt the pull to adopt Kobe and provide him with the stability we knew we could give him. Kobe has been with us over a year now and he’s a super big brother. He’s no longer in special school programs, no longer on medications, he’s now able to be a kid again and knows he has a forever home with us!

HOW HAS ADOPTION CHANGED YOUR LIFE FOR THE BETTER?

Adoption has definitely changed our lives. Little did we know we were missing something. I could not imagine life with 11 children; now I can’t imagine life without 11 children. We have watched them grow and change and it has opened our eyes to helping others foster our goals of fostering. Then

families. We’re proud to think our children are benefiting from adoption by expanding our family. We’re hopeful they will be open to fostering and adopting when they are ready to start their own families.

WHY SHOULD PEOPLE LOOK TO THE HEART GALLERY FOR PRE- AND POST-ADOPTION ASSISTANCE?

A few of our adoptions have not been through the Heart Gallery. The biggest advantage of adopting a child through the Heart Gallery is the organization’s ongoing support before and well after the adoption. We receive access to support groups and services that we wouldn’t have access to otherwise. Simply, families receive a level of support that you don’t get anywhere else.

IT'S NOT AS SCARY AS PEOPLE MAY THINK

MEGHAN TEN BRINK

We are waiting to finalize the adoption of three of our girls. The fourth sibling, a sister, just moved in with us and we plan to adopt her as well. What’s one more kid, right? She is 7 years old and now we have three 7-yearolds in our family!

WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT ADOPTING OLDER CHILDREN?

It’s not as scary as people may think. One thing that is really great is they have an understanding that our little ones don’t. They are able to vocalize what they think, feel and need. You can reason and be bluntly honest with them. With smaller children, you can see small leaps. With older children, you see huge leaps. You can help these kids rekindle their dreams and

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU AND YOUR CREW?

become their authentic selves.