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North Dakota — “I felt nervous, and I thought that I wasn’t going to get adopted,” Allison shared.

After experiencing abuse and neglect as their parents struggled with substance use, Allison and Austin were placed with their grandpa.

But when he was no longer able to care for them due to his age and health issues, they were placed in foster care, where they lingered for more than two years.

Like many children in care, they started to wonder whether they would ever have a safe, permanent home where they could grow up together.

When they were referred to the Foundation’s Wendy’s Wonderful Kids® program, recruiter Mikayla with Catholic Charities North Dakota was intentional about how she spent her time with them. “During those first few visits, we really focused on relationship building. That was just finding out, ‘What are their favorite games? What do they like to do?’” she explained. “We did Legos® and both Allison and Austin enjoy crafts, so we made paper chains with our favorite memories on them to make a memory chain.”

Those little moments meant so much to the siblings and helped them build trust with Mikayla.

“Mikayla is nice. She helped me,” Austin shared.

“I think you can really kind of discover who the child is, their wants, their preferences and their voice … finding different connections, as well as different permanency options, different routes to take,” Mikayla said.

As she got to know Allison and Austin, she saw that foster parents Adam and Shannon were important adults in their lives. Adam and Shannon had started their journey to become foster parents when children in their extended family needed a safe place to stay. They moved into a bigger house and decided to offer respite care.

“Before Austin and Allison, we had about 23 kids in and out of our home in the last four years. It’s been a rollercoaster, but a fun one,” Shannon said with a laugh. “My favorite thing is that we get all these kids in our home, and they can sit at our table and relate to one another. Just knowing that they’re not alone, that there’s other kids that have had the same situations.” It was clear that Austin and Allison felt that sense of belonging, too.

“I felt happy because they are a safe family. They treat me kindly, and they actually care about us,” Allison said.

Adam and Shannon made Allison and Austin’s needs their own. They made sure the schools understood what both children needed to learn and updated the pediatrician on everything they knew about their medical history.

“You have to be their best advocate,” Shannon explained. “There are things out there that you need to put your foot down and be like, ‘no, they need this. They need an IEP. They need medication. They need just that support in general.’”

Austin shared that he knew he wanted to stay “because they are a great family.”

With help from the Foundation and our caring supporters, Allison and Austin were adopted at ages 9 and 7.

When Adam and Shannon received the news that the adoption was going to officially be finalized on National Adoption Day, they surprised Allison and Austin with a message cake. When they revealed the message under the icing — “Guess what? We are adopting you” — they smiled from ear to ear.

Mikayla also made sure that Adam and Shannon knew about Allison and Austin’s biological grandpa — another important adult in their lives. Adam and Shannon have helped them maintain that connection. “He tries to come out every summer to spend at least a weekend with them,” Shannon shared. “We just want him to be part of their development and their life.”

Today, the siblings are making special memories and dreaming about their futures. Allison plans to be a veterinarian, and Austin wants to be a soccer player. “Every child needs a second chance to have a loving and caring family. For someone not to give up on them,” Shannon said.

“Knowing where they were and maybe their struggles and watching them grow … that’s always the joy of it,” Adam added.

“Growing up with my brother makes me the happiest,” Allison shared with a smile.

“I’m glad my sister and me are together,” Austin said. “Adoption to me means that I’ll have a great home.”

If you have room in your home or your heart, you can help children like Austin and Allison who are waiting for a family right now. This National Adoption Day and year-round, join us in raising awareness by sharing Allison and Austin’s story. Together, we can make a permanent family possible for every child waiting in foster care … no matter their story.