Before she takes her first step and celebrates her first birthday, a foster baby can expect to live in a minimum of three to four homes. Before she speaks her first words, she can expect to have five different “mommies”.
The reasons foster children are moved from home to home are often complex and hard to understand, but they can leave devastating life-long scars.
Makayla came to Angels at 14 months. She had been abandoned by her mother at eight weeks, and remained in the home of a relative for the next three months. When that relative could no longer care for her she was moved to a foster home where she was one of three infants and four older children.
She became ill and required doctor visits which her foster mother could not accommodate. At 10 months she moved to her third placement, where she stayed for three months. At that time the foster parents had their license suspended due to allegations of child abuse and Makayla was taken to the Polinsky Children’s Center. She remained there until Angels found her a loving home.
That was 2 years ago, and Makayla has since been adopted by her Angels family. She is a happy, thriving three year old who adores her forever family.
Makayla was one of the lucky ones, and was saved from the revolving door of foster care that far too many children can’t escape from.
