The Rivera Family
My experience brought me at the road of adoption. I was adopted when I was an infant; my mother and my grandmother abandoned me at the hospital when I was born. The brother of my grandmother and his wife adopted me as their daughter. As a child, I always dreamed of adopting a child. I wanted to take the same journey my parent’s took when they cared for me. Without them I would not be where I am in my life; they always listened to me and always accepted me through the good and the bad. My mother was a big influence, she told me, "if I did it, you can do it better."
My biological daughters support me and they help me a lot with the children. My daughters make the holidays a very big deal for the children. God is very good to me, I feel very blessed. The traditions we have started is making sure that Santa Claus always visits our home on Christmas day and the whole family is always together to celebrate any holiday or birthday.
I have adopted four children and I am in the process of adopting two more. I am also fostering four siblings and I would love to adopt them. I have been a foster/adoptive mother for 13 years and I am happy that I can give so much love and affection to these children. These children are my children; they are in my care twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. I am a very honest person, and I know how to navigate the system. I know how to find what I need and I know my rights and the rights of my children. In thirteen years, I have fostered 46 children in my home - only two adolescents gave me problems. If the children do not return with their biological family, I do not return them so they do not need to be moved to another foster home or group home. The children that have left my home have improved emotionally, physically, and in their behavior. The adolescents have graduated from high school and are now in college.
I’ve been with the same agency for 13 years and, so far, the workers that have been assigned to me have been great. I expect the agency to support me; we need to work as a team for the well-being of the children.
My neighbors call me "The Rainbow Lady" because in my home there have been children of different races, cultures, national origin, and colors. I have taken care of Mexican, Irish, Greek, African American children, etc. Many of my neighbors have become my children’s godparents. When we have a new member in the family, we make sure we introduce them to our friends, family, and neighbors. My family supports what I do.
I ask myself, “What gives me the strength?” Well it is the love and gratitude that I receive from my children and being able to share in all of the special things they do every day. I give thanks to God that I am here to see them do these things. Each day is a special day with my children. One day a month at my agency, I volunteer as a mentor for prospective adoptive parents. When I introduce myself to my members at the “Circle of Support,” I advise the prospective adoptive parents to adopt with their heart - we know what it is that these children lack, and you will feel it in your heart. The children know that you care for them when you truly listen to them. They understand and tell themselves, “Wow, this person is really taking the time to listen to me.”