'Instant family' story shared on National Adoption Day

There is much to be thankful for on this day. Here’s an example of something to be blessed with: Your family. Children can make a family complete, and parents can make children, especially those in the care of the state’s foster system.

Friday was National Adoption Day in Florida, a designation made to raise awareness of the thousands of children in foster care in the state of Florida who await their day to find permanent, loving families. In Florida’s fiscal 2021-22 year, 3,888 children found forever families, but over 4,400 are still awaiting families, including teenagers and sibling groups.

“Adoption is a blessing in many ways,” said Ninth Circuit Judge Laura Shaffer, who presided over Friday’s adoptions. “It changes a child’s life for generations to come. It gives families children, grandchildren and nieces.”

Embrace Families, a lead nonprofit organization overseeing foster care, adoption and child welfare services in Osceola County and the surrounding area, held a special event Friday to highlight National Adoption Day. Three families had their adoptions finalized at the Osceola County Courthouse on Friday.

With around 1 in 5 children in the U.S. foster care system being teenagers, there is a special focus on adoptions for older children – specifically ages 8 through 18 – as well as on keeping sibling groups together.

On that topic, the Santos family, Israel and Dimaris and their four boys, gave a testimony to that at the event. Their family quickly went from the two adults to a party of six, thanks to the welltimed foster and adoption.

The couple found, after years of trying to start a family, conceiving normally wouldn’t be an adoption. In-vitro fertilization looked to be an option at first, but due to complications two sets of embryos did not come to term.

“We still felt strongly we want to be parents — we had so much love to give, but no one to give it to,” Dimaris said.

Adoption didn’t become an option until years later, when they began initial adoption classes to “see where it would lead.”

Those classes became the key — and what could be the deciding factor for those uncertain about adopting.

“The classes made us feel like, ‘When’ and not, ‘If,” Israel Santos said. “Then after a while we get a call: ‘Quick question: how big is your house?’” The couple was asked about a family of three boys, who adoption officials didn’t want to separate. The more the Santos’ considered it, the more the story paralleled the 2018 movie “Instant Family” starring Mark Wahlberg.

“Our decision would affect another family, not just ours. “We didn’t know what to expect, other than to open our hearts,” Israel said. “Supervised visits became weekend visits. We fell in love with them the moment we met them.” On Feb. 8, 2021, Noah (now 8 years old), Oliver (7) and Aries (5) became part of the family. Six months later, a call came their birth biological mother gave birth to another boy; on Oct. 24, Levi joined the family just months into his life.

“Every step of the way, has all been worth it, we’ve been so blessed to create this ‘Brady Bunch,’” Israel said. “The more the merrier. Is it hard? Yes, but it’s worth it.”

Dimaris said all the “firsts” of being a family proved the decision rewarding.

“What once seemed impossible is now our life,” she said.

Their message to those who are unsure about proceeding into parenthood this way? “Go for it.”

“Do research. Take the classes. Be around people who have adopted before. That got our minds going that we could do this,” Dimaris said.