Foster to Adopt: Shantelle’s Story

Foster to adopt, these stories vary greatly. Currently, there are 433,495 kids in foster care and 1,200 enter the system every single day. With this massive amount of children without parents, there is a need for families to open up their homes to foster or adopt. This is something that Shantelle Fitch learned early on, and that’s when she opened up her heart and jumped right into fostering to adopt. Here is Shantelle’s story:

The Start of the Journey

Shantelle and her husband Jordan started their journey in February 2018. They both prepared to handle the challenges that came with foster care since nothing is ever guaranteed. Ten months later, they received a call asking if they had an interest in a seven-month-old baby girl who had a case headed towards adoption. She was also a premature baby, only weighing in at 3.5 pounds and with drugs in her system. Despite the dire conditions the baby was in, Shantelle and her husband said yes without hesitation and welcomed the child into their home.

Falling in Love

When they first met her, they both quickly fell in love. Shantelle expresses that “our life and our hearts were changed forever.” All the parental instincts came naturally even though they never had biological kids before. Everything fell into place and just felt right. The adoption date came one year later on October 25, 2019, their daughter Elsie Sailor Fitch became official. Now, they get to legal love her forever.

Advice Shared with Love

The advice Shantelle has for those with hopes to adopt through foster care is to “love hard (regardless of the potential loss) and to surround yourself with others who are or have fostered and adopted. Their wisdom and practical knowledge of the best ways to navigate the foster care and adoption process is invaluable. The community and support of others who have gone before you is a lifeline that you will need.”

In Conclusion

In Conclusion, we want to thank Shantelle and her family for sharing their story with us. If you want to share a foster to adopt process story with us, feel free to shoot us a message at https://www.togetherwerise.org/contact-us/