Melody can describe her kids with just a few words.

“They are so silly”, she says with a smile.

Melody and Bert have always loved children and even with five biological children of their own, they knew they had room in their heart for more.

“We decided to look closer into adoption after we learned a sibling group we had personal ties to had entered foster care,” said Melody. “We thought they would become a part of our family, but they were adopted into another loving family. And even though we knew they were loved, we were heartbroken. But everything happens for a reason and very soon after we were licensed and trained, we got the call that another sibling group needed a safe place to call home. They came to live with us in February and just six months later they were ours forever.”

Melody and Bert adopted four siblings from foster care with Children’s Home Society of Florida:

• Chloe is the baby. Her smile and giggle can light up any room. She is a parrot often mimicking the other kids.
• Ashton is two-years-old with a sparkle in his eye and fire and in his soul. He’s a happy handful.
• Robbie loves dinosaurs and video games. He is excited about so many things knows so much more than you’d ever think he could know.
• Savanna is a sassy, girly-girl. She loves to be loved and to be a part of a family. She is also happy to have her own room and a little independence. As the oldest of the sibling group, she felt a great responsibility to take of her brothers and sister. But now with a mom and dad and two big sisters at home, she can finally just be a kid.

“They have woken the house up,” said Melody. “We can’t imagine our lives without them.”

“My husband and I feel grateful to have both grown up in stable, loving homes,” says Melody. “Both of our parents are still together happily married and we both admire our parents for the life they’ve given us. We wanted to give that to another child who needed it — a family that would be behind them no matter what.”

With the COVID-19 pandemic and courthouse closures, the family wasn’t able to finalize their adoption with a  big courtroom celebration like they dreamed, but just to have the closure via zoom and the ink dried on the adoption papers provided the family and the children with a sense of security they’d been longing for.

To make the celebration even more special, their adoption was finalized on their eldest daughter’s birthday.

All children need to know they’re unconditionally loved,” says Melody. “They need the security of a family – someone that will never leave them or walk away. The adoption process can make you impatient and parenting on its own can test your patience. But even when you feel like you want to give up, just don’t. It’s all worth it. Kids need to be loved, they don’t need the perfect family. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect. Are you good enough? Do you have enough money? If it’s meant to be it will be meant to be. Jump in and have faith. There will never be a perfect time. Just do it. Don’t let anything hold you back. Just don’t quit.”

Interested in learning more about adoptions with CHS? CLICK HERE

“CHS can help answer your questions and get you started with your orientation. It will put a fire in your soul.” -Melody, CHS adoptive mom