Big Family…Big Hearts

We met Janelle on Instagram and learned that she and her husband have adopted multiple children. When we say multiple, we mean multiple. 17 to be exact, making them parents to 19 children. Please enjoy her story below!

Will and I married late in life as we are both now in our 50s. I brought Dustin into the marriage from my 1st marriage. Dustin is now 31 {!!!}. I did not think I could have children again biologically, so we started the adoption process. After we started the process, I became pregnant with Cydnee {now 20}. When Cydnee was almost one we started the process again. Hershel {26} came from a Kansas foster care adoption disruption and his adoption was finalized by us in 2002. We adopted Jeffery {30} from Kansas foster care in 2003. Tyson {29}, then my nephew, came to live with us {no involvement from DCF} and we finalized his adoption in 2004. Destynee {29} and Sierra {20} biological siblings were adopted in 2004. Aaron {22 and 1/2 sibling to Jeffery} and Skyler {19 and 1/2 sibling to Aaron} were adopted in 2005. We adopted Devin {19}, Desiree {18} and Keyauna {16} from the Texas foster care system after finding them on the website "Adopt America Network". Nick {22} and Sylvia {21} biological siblings were adopted in 2010 from Kansas foster care. Sammie, my husband’s cousin, was with us from birth until 6 months. When she came back into Kansas foster care at the age of 4, we adopted her in 2013. She is now 13. Our last adoption was in 2015 from Kansas foster care was a sibling group of 4 that were placed in 3 different foster homes. They are Austin {17}, David {15}, Mashia {12} and Kamesha {11}.

We were featured in KCSL's 120th anniversary booklet and I remember mentioning "firsts"..."Families can still experience "firsts" with older children...first rodeo, circus, birthday cakes, skating, bowling and other events."

I am not going to lie, due to the trauma our children experienced in both their birth homes and in some foster homes, they have had negative behaviors. DCF has improved their handling of adoptive families. In the past, it was one of judgement that it was the adoptive parents fault. The saddest thing I have heard over the years is how adoptive children are turned back into the state.

DCF has worked to improve their system and have started Collaborative Groups to work on major issues. We have inquired over the years on a niece of Nick & Sylvia's only to be turned down due to the DCF involvement. Another is Jupiter, currently available for adoption. Her social worker will allow us to be in her life, but not to adopt.

A lot of people will tell you to adopt the younger ones, because the older ones have so many problems. That’s not true. It’s all factored into the trauma that they’ve experienced...what they went through, how they were helped to overcome that. Each child is different, and behavioral problems begin to improve once the child sees that someone is sticking with them through the good and the bad, and a bond of trust begins.

Did we ever think we’d end up with this many? No...but when you see the need and so many kids split up and in so many different foster homes — an average between five and nine foster homes in a short time…you can’t not do something.

I have a different view of what success is. When we first started, I thought that success was that all my children would go to college, get an education, have a career. That’s not success to me. I think as adoptive parents, our whole view of what success is is different. My term of success is when I can do; the before and after of the things they used to do...that to me is success.

Overall, no matter what, we are firm supporters of adoption through the foster care system. We encourage others to adopt.

Janelle DuBree