According to the Children’s Bureau’s most recent figures, there are more than 424,000 foster children in the country. In Tennessee alone, fewer than 8,000 children are waiting to be reunited with their loved ones or find a permanent home with people who will unconditionally adore them. Tragically, there are fewer than 4,000 foster families in this state.
Andrew, 12, of Nashville, was one of those kids who got caught in the system until recently. This adorable child spent half of his life bouncing between families. But after he was taken in by the Gills, a special foster family, that all changed.
From their initial encounter, Andrew and Joc, the son of Kevin and Dominique Gill, grew close. The boys just love hanging out with each other. They take walks, play games, and partake in other fun activities. After noticing how close the boys had become and wanting to maintain their friendship for eternity, Kevin and Dominique made the decision to apply for adoption.
The fact that Andrew will shortly be officially accepted into the Gill family was unknown to him. One day, while out at the park with Youth Villages worker Molly Parker, he found out that he was being adopted by his foster parents.
“When I turned the corner, everyone was there,” Andrew said. “I said ‘yes!’ when they asked if you would.”
These boys had grown from being close friends to brothers. Isn’t that the most beautiful thing ever?
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