I Love Coming Home

Laughter comes easily to 14-year-old Shanna. She talks excitedly to her adoptive mother, Blake, about her friends, music and school. The two have such a strong relationship it’s hard to believe that Blake and her husband, Bill, adopted Shanna less than one year ago. Shanna came to Children’s Aid and Family Services when she was 10 years old. She went to live in one of our Path to Permanency homes where she eventually met Blake. “Bill and I always wanted to foster or adopt, and when I saw what good care the children got at the Path home, I knew I wanted to adopt through Children’s Aid and Family Services,” Blake says.

Shanna moved into their home in 2011 and has adjusted well. She loves animals and takes horseback riding lessons, as well as swimming and bowling. She also went to Disney for the first time with Blake and Bill. A nurturing child who often had to care for her younger siblings before entering foster care, Shanna is learning to simply enjoy being a teenager.

“I like going to school here and really love coming home every day,” she says. “Now I have a wonderful mom and dad. We’re growing into one big happy family!”

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we are able to find loving families for our children and give them a second chance at life.

Celebrate the one you love – your husband, wife, mother, father, child, friend – with a gift to help honor these children. We'll mail them a Valentine’s certificate to announce your gift. Be sure to select “Celebrate the One You Love” in the donation category and then fill in the “In Honor of” field with your valentine’s name and address.