Canyon Acres Children and Family Successes…

A Success Story of Canyon Acres Foster Care & Adoption Programs

Nathan’s Story

On December 10, 2008, a precious baby became a part of our life story. We were new parents, leaving the hospital with our very first child, Nathan. He was a preemie, coming into this world at only 25 weeks, but that’s not the only thing that made him unique. What was so special about him for us, not yet having any children of our own, was that Nathan already had parents. His birth mother and father had been living in turmoil and chaos, but were now ready to dedicate every ounce of their strength and courage to building a life that they could be proud of, one that little Nathan deserved to grow up in. We were asked to step in as foster parents while they made things right.

Since then, nine months have passed and this precious little boy has blessed us all. With amazing Canyon Acres social workers behind us every step of the way, we and Nathan’s parents have united behind this beautiful little boy as our common purpose. And while the journey has not been perfect, the efforts that we all put toward building our relationships have carried us through.

The agony of not having their son was lessened early on when they came to trust in our care of their son as well as in our respect for them as parents. It was always our hope that this peace of mind would free Nathan’s parents to focus on their recovery - and they have since done amazingly with their programs. It has been wonderful to give and receive encouragement from each other. We’ve been able to celebrate Nathan’s medical and developmental milestones together. In everything, from the exchanging of gifts at Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, to working out visitation schedules and doctor’s appointments, to choosing Nathan’s first baby foods, as Co-parents (birth parents + foster parents), we seemed to have known and respected that we’re on this journey together.

The time when Nathan will be reunified with his parents is coming soon. My husband and I don’t pretend to know what the future holds. What we are certain of is that being foster parents is the most profound experience we’ve ever had. We are so blessed to have shared in Nathan’s first year of life. While he may never know it, his ability to love and trust came, in part, from the time he spent with us. It’s an honor we can only clumsily put into words, so forgive us. But God knows our hearts and understands that it is with bottomless love and hope that we send this new family off into the world to begin their own success story.