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Girl who was in foster care for 1,445 days gets adopted by her 2nd-grade teacher

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For little kids without a permanent family, having someone to care for you forever is the best thing that could happen in life. Loralie Henry is a 9-year-old girl who knows that journey more intimately than almost anyone, having been in the system longer than most kids because of delays associated with the pandemic.

Loralie went to foster care when she was 4, back to her biological mom when she was 5, and finally was returned to the system when she was 6.

“I was in foster care when I was 4. Then I went back to my biological mom when I was 5. Then back in foster care when I was 6. It was actually really scary, too. I didn’t know what to expect in other homes or what they would feed me,” she said. “I didn’t really know what to do. So I thought, ‘Well, what should I do? Is there anyone waiting for me?’ I was really scared. Until I met my mom. My second grade teacher.”
Loralie said (ABC7).

Zoe Henry is a teacher who happened to have Loralie in her second-grade class.

Zoe is a teacher living in La Verne, California, who also happens to be a single mom. For her, adoption was nowhere on her mind when she met Loralie. She was just trying to keep things in her life together. Still, as we all know, we never expect a miracle to enter our lives when it does!

But, when they first met, Zoe immediately knew that Loralie was special.

It was like Loralie had just received a birthday present – she was going to finally have a permanent home! The process was just starting, but Loralie was going to have a mom and a place to live, never having to worry about where she would end up next.

“She’s been in a lot of places, had a lot of obstacles to find her way here. But we’re very thankful for that journey, and it’s made her a brave and strong and just an amazing little girl,” Zoe said. “She is probably the most compassionate person I know.”

Now, two years later, the adoption was made official.

Since covid, processes were slowed significantly. Nearly two years after Loralie went home with Zoe, they were finally able to celebrate the “official” adoption in front of everyone. Normally, the celebration would happen in a courthouse, but this time it was going to be a digital ceremony. Still, it was just as special!

  • parenting isn’t easy

February 26, 2022

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