In 1984, President Gerald Ford designated November as National Adoption Month. During this month, it is hoped that communities and families increase their awareness about adoption as a positive way to grow your family. Georgia has over 11,000 children in foster care, many over eight and some who will need permanent placement. Over the next few weeks, we’ll discuss this challenge that comes with rewards. Today, I’m speaking with a colleague at WCLK, Heather Hawes, an adoptive mom.
I asked Hawes what her thoughts were about adoption before she decided to become an adoptive parent. She speaks about adopting two cousins who fell into the foster care system. She went through the process and learned about the high number of African-American children who are in the system. After her two sons had grown up, both are now young men, Hawes decided to adopt again.
She explains that she considered herself a boy mom and was interested in raising another set of boys. After working with the State of Georgia, Luthern Services, and other agencies, she fell in love with a sibling group that consisted of two brothers and a sister. Hawes speaks about not knowing she wanted a daughter until she became a little girl’s mother. She calls her young children the “Thunder Tribe.”
Hawes shares that she has learned not to be afraid and that you are not alone. She speaks to the support from her family, church, and social service organizations. Therapy is a mainstay in their lives, and she talks about the growth in her spiritual life. When asked what she shares with others considering adoption, she speaks about believing in the “little person” that might change your life. Additionally, she says that she adopted as an older, single woman.
Eight years in, she has mothered five children, four boys and one girl. She wouldn’t change a thing.
If you are considering adoption or want to learn more, go to adoptuskids.org