Melissa Thomas

_#### Our Journey

Fostering and adoption has been on our hearts for a long time. We listened to where God was leading us and became licensed foster parents in 2013.

On June 20th, 2017 my husband and I legally adopted our daughter in the 17th Judicial Circuit Court. A judgment order finalizing the adoption was entered on that day. Twenty-nine days after the finalization of the adoption of our daughter, DCFS filed a motion attempting to vacate the adoption and attempting to revoke its consent to our daughter's adoption.

DCFS was attempting to undo our adoption because the maternal grandparents had a service appeal pending since December 12, 2016. The Administrative Law Judge that heard the appeal issued a recommendation in favor of the maternal grandparents AFTER the adoption was finalized. There were no Illinois statues and there were no Illinois cases that granted DCFS this kind of power. There was NOTHING that allowed DCFS the right to revoke its consent POST adoption because of a recommendation issued by an Administrative Law Judge after the entry of the Judgment for adoption. However, DCFS continued to press forward with its attempts to undo our adoption.

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It is imperative to note, that EVERYONE involved in our daughter's case, including DCFS, the State's Attorney, CASA, the maternal grandparents and their attorney and the judge were aware at the time of the adoption that the service appeal was pending.

Over a period of 7 months DCFS continued their crusade to undo our daughter's adoption and take away her forever home. The fact that DCFS even attempted to do this was unfathomable, considering DCFS and the Guardianship Administrator at the time , Debra Dyer-Webster, consented on March 1, 2017 to my husband and I adopting our daughter.

This consent was given 4 months prior to our adoption being finalized. At any time prior to the adoption hearing, DCFS could have filed a motion in the Circuit Court to stay the adoption pending the outcome of the appeal or the Guardianship Administrator could have revoked her consent. DCFS did not do either of these things and in fact encouraged my husband and I to move forward with the adoption of our daughter after the service appeal was held.

DCFS communicated directly with our attorney and advised us to move forward with our adoption. What makes this even more unconscionable is that the DCFS attorney argued at the service appeal that it was NOT in our daughter's best interest to return to her grandparents.

It was also concerning that post adoption, DCFS had been in contact with the maternal grandparents. In fact, the guardian administrator, Debra Dyer-Webster, conducted an in-home visit to the maternal grandparents' home and discussed matters that pertained to our daughter after DCFS was no longer her legal guardian. However, DCFS had no contact with us (the legal parents) or our attorney.

We were forced to retained legal counsel to preserve our daughters adoption , for her right to permanency , and her “Forever Family.”

Our daughter had been in our home for over half of her life prior to being adopted. The Illinois State’s attorney, CASA, the GAL in the now closed juvenile case, the GAL in the adoption case, and Children’s Home and Aid were all in support of keeping our daughter's adoption intact.

After several court appearances the judge ruled in our favor and upheld our daughters legally finalized adoption. We are thankful that the judge upheld the law.

We are speaking out about our story in hopes of bringing awareness and moving others into action to support much needed change in our system.

My husband and I did what was necessary to protect our daughter and will fight to ensure this never happens to another family ever again.

If DCFS had been allowed to revoke their consent POST adoption that would have set a dangerous precedent. If they had been successful in their attempts to undo our child’s adoption, that would mean no child who has been adopted, or who will be adopted in the future, through the child welfare system would ever have permanency. The laws, along with DCFS's rules and procedures need to be changed to protect our children from DCFS's abuse of power.

We are eternally grateful for all the prayer warriors who were fighting for our family during this very difficult time. DCFS has moved on , while our family is still paying financially and emotionally for their actions._

_#### Since our daughters adoption we have welcomed another pre-adoptive placement into our home. We pray that we will be able to finalize her adoption without any issues.

We don’t want to let the actions of a few, stop us from what the Lord put on our hearts to do, which was to open our home and our hearts to children.

It is incredibly humbling to share our story and ask for help, but there is so much more work to be done .
The support and prayers from our friends,family, even strangers has been amazing.

We have created an adoption profile to raise funds for the lengthy legal battle surrounding our daughters adoption.

Your donations are tax deductible and any funds raised over and above the goal will be donated to a ministry that provides support to foster and adoptive families.

Psalm 68:6 God Places the lonely in families

Much Love & God Bless ,
The Thomas Family
#Thomas6

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