Baby Nina, only 2 months old, came into foster care with allegations of parental “mishandling”, while living with parents who had substance abuse issues and bleak financial resources.
Once made a “court dependent”, she was placed with her Angels foster family, a family with children of their own with the emotional, financial and parenting resources needed to nurture, provide and protect Nina, where she would heal and learn to trust again.
Nina’s foster family soon came to appreciate the struggles that Nina’s parents were dealing with due to their own tragic childhoods. Working hard at addiction recovery and maintaining sobriety were proving successful as they both worked hard at sober living in their attempts to reunite as a family with Nina. The Angels foster family worked closely with Nina’s parents in preparation for a reunification one day soon. A relapse close to the reunification date changed the plans for Nina’s return and the case was set for trial in the Juvenile Court.
While not often the case, Nina’s parents made the tough decision on the heals of the trial to relinquish their daughter to the Angels foster family for adoption, a family that could give her everything in life that she was so deserving of. It was due to the stability and high quality care the parents observed Nina receiving for over 1-1/2 years with her Angels family that allowed them to make this decision.
This is a very unique outcome for one lucky little girl. We commend her parents for making this ultimate sacrifice of love, a gift that will be shared with Nina when she’s old enough to understand. Whether it be reunification or adoption, Angels seeks happy endings for each and every baby placed, at a time when they could otherwise have fallen victim to a system of foster care that is so often filled with sadness and uncertainties.
