against the birth parents,” said Kailey.
“I had opportunities that some of these
parents never had. I grew up with a
mama and a daddy who loved me. They
both worked and taught me to work. I
had a car to drive when I turned sixteen.
It wasn’t new, and the windows didn’t
work, but I was proud of that car. The
truth is that anyone can fall on hard
times. I can’t imagine trying to survive
without a strong support system and a
loving family.”
During the summer of 2019, the
state filed a TPR (termination of parental
rights) in Emi’s case, which made her
eligible for adoption, and Kailey was
given the opportunity to adopt her.
Interestingly, she got the opportunity
to make that decision simply because
she had checked one box over the other
on her foster parent application. “I had
no idea that one of the most important
decisions I would ever make was marking
‘partnership parent,’ which is now called
HOMETOWN LIVING AT I TS BEST 39