Leanne

Leanne was removed from her home at ten months old by the police during a domestic violence dispute involving her biological mother. She was initially placed with relatives who could only provide temporary care for the little girl. For months Leanne’s Children’s Law Center attorney, Betsy, explored all of Leanne’s family connections, but mental health issues and drug use plagued the entire family. She needed a permanent adoptive home. After multiple visits with Leanne, Betsy became concerned that Leanne also suffered developmental delays. At 18 months old, Leanne wasn’t speaking and barely interacted with others. Like many foster children, Leanne had special needs that would make it all the more difficult to find an adoptive home. Betsy, along with Leanne’s case worker, reviewed many potential adoptive homes to find a good fit. They needed to be sure that when they moved the little girl it would be to a permanent home. Thankfully, they found foster parents Mark and Susan. The couple could not have children of their own and became foster parents who wanted to adopt a child. To ease the transition into Mark and Susan’s home, Leanne entered play therapy and even occupational therapy to help build an attachment to her adoptive parents and address her special needs. At three years old, Leanne’s adoption was finalized on November 19, in celebration of National Adoption Day. Leanne’s progress in the healthy, stable home was miraculous. The smiley toddler babbled on and on during court proceedings finalizing her adoption and clung closely to her new mom and dad. If you met the sweet little toddler when she was first placed in foster care, you wouldn’t even recognizer her today.