Adoption process was emotional roller coaster
“The adoption process was 18 months long. We knew it would be challenging. But we had no idea how complicated and interrogating it would get.
“We had home visits. We had interviews. We had background checks every three months. They made us do fingerprinting every three months. There was so much paperwork. Because we were in Texas and she was in Florida, there were lots of different rules and regulations that had to be followed. It was definitely a roller coaster of emotions for us and for her. But we kept going.
“And the entire time, we wanted to get excited, but we were told that we couldn’t put anything on Facebook. We couldn’t mention names. We understood, but it was frustrating because we wanted to let the whole world know what was going on.
“On adoption day, when everything became official, it was kind of surreal. The time and effort we put in, the perseverance that we had, it all paid off. And it just shows that for people who are trying to adopt, don’t ever give up. Pursue what you want as your dream, even if it’s hard. Even if it’s something you feel is never going to happen. Because if you want it bad enough and if you stay focused on the goal, you will succeed. We’re proof of that. We never gave up. We kept pushing. And now look at us. We’re a real family.”
— Samantha Villegas Espinoza and Eufemia Espinoza, with Cheyenne Prescott-Espinoza
After more than two years in foster care in Florida, Cheyenne was officially adopted by Samantha and Eufemia on Sept. 27, 2018. Cheyenne, 14, is Eufemia’s biological niece.
Related:
• Adopted teenager: ‘I’m one of the lucky ones’
