Adoption lets Nebraska family grow with joy
Tracy and Douglas Christensen thought they were empty-nesters. They changed their minds when they met Joy.
The Nebraska couple initially brought Joy into their home in June 2014 after Tracy had been a mentor for her at Royal Family Kids Camp, a program for foster youth. The Christensens supported Joy in establishing family connections that she didn’t know existed and helped her connect with her birth mother and extended family. Just a year after being placed together, the Christensens adopted Joy.
“In the short period of time that we have had her, I don’t understand how I would have ever lived without her,” her father said. “She’s one of us.”
The Christensens received a Casey Excellence for Children Award for foster and adoptive parents this year. We highlight their story in recognition of National Adoption Month in November. This year, National Adoption Month focuses on how important it is to find permanent families for thousands of 15- to 18-year-olds in foster care who are less likely to be adopted and often age out of the system without a stable place to call home.