Children deserve the best. A loving family and comfortable home, and their basic needs like food and clothing are provided. However, not all children are born with such privilege.
Some children are left in the care of shelters and foster homes with an unknown future. They are waiting for the perfect family to shower them with love and care – something they very much deserve.
One former teacher fostered many children in her home; somehow, four of those children turned her life around.
A loving foster home
Former teacher and single mom Melissa Servetz has worked in social services for the past five years. This was why she opened her home and heart to children who needed foster homes.
For years, she had fostered 56 children. It’s safe to say that she helped many children all those years. She finally decided that she would foster one more, and then she could retire from fostering.
What she didn’t know was that ‘one more’ was the one thing to fulfill her personal goal.
The maternal instinct kicking in
When Melissa thought about fostering one more, her maternal instinct started to kick in. She admitted she always wanted to be a mother. She looked at her remaining four fosters, and it tugged her heartstrings.
She recalled all the ups and downs she had with them and all the things the kids had to go through. Melissa thought of adopting them, and by doing so, she did not only give the children home, but they also completed her life-long dream of becoming a mother.
Recalling the process
Melissa thought it was fate that brought the kids to her. She was teaching at Tampa Bay when a former student’s parent came up to her and told her about children needing a temporary home. She said they were being evicted from their home and were under the care of an agency.
She called the agency and confirmed that two girls needed a foster home. A week later, she picked up Jade, the eldest among the four, then transitioned to picking up Destiny after a week.
The children’s mother gave birth to another two boys, Matthew and Emerson, which once again needed a foster home. Melissa couldn’t say ‘no’ because she didn’t have the heart to separate them from each other. That same thought made her decide she would adopt all four and leave no child behind.
The best children in the world
Melissa understood the trauma that the kids went through, especially Jade and Destiny, who underwent abuse. They all go to counseling to process their trauma and for Melissa to learn how to deal with the children.
“I want them to remember that I picked them… and I have, in my opinion, the best children in the world,” Melissa told Good Morning America.
She saw a bright future ahead for her four children. She said they were a mix of fun, active, and energetic kids yet also kind, gentle, and full of love.