We got the call for baby Aliyah when she was just 18 days old. She was being placed into foster care, withdrawing from drugs, and came with nothing but a hospital t-shirt and blanket. Her older sister had already been adopted by her grandparents, but they had no idea another baby was coming — and suddenly had less than 24 hours to decide if they could take her too. When the caseworker pulled into our driveway, we met her outside and fell in love instantly. But even as we settled into sleepless nights and baby snuggles, we knew this wasn’t about us. When we learned her grandparents wanted custody, we were heartbroken — not because it wasn’t right, but because we had come to love her so deeply. Still, we knew what mattered most: family. We worked hard to make contact with her grandparents and even when we were told no we pushed through doors to make it happen. Eventually we found a way, and began building the most beautiful relationship with her grandparents. Truly to this day her extended family is now our family. Aliyah left our home three months later, but she never left our lives. Five years later, she’s still family. She runs into my arms yelling “Ms. Bailey!” with that same joy she had as a baby — and now we get to love her, her grandma Debra, and all her siblings too. This is foster care. Messy, sacred, heartbreaking, beautiful. And absolutely worth it. 💛 (fb)

In honor of Memorial Day, we will be closed on Monday, May 26 as we pause to remember and honor those who gave their lives in service to our country. We’ll resume normal operations on Tuesday, May 27. (fb)