In Need Of A Family
When Tyler and Mandi received notice that a baby boy named Hunter was in need of foster parents, they couldn’t wait. Hunter was only one week old and in dire need of a loving and caring family like them. Tyler and Mandi were committed to being the parents that Hunter didn’t have.
But, things wouldn’t be this easy and there would be several more obstacles which they’d need to overcome.
Taking it as a Sign
Tyler and Mandi saw all of these commercials and announcements as a sign that adoption was the right choice for them to make. They believed in God's intentions for them to adopt a child.
"We were scared but we knew God was pulling at our heartstrings and telling us that this is what we needed to do." So, they decided to apply for the licensing program in order to take the steps to becoming foster parents.
Meet Your Baby Boy
The steps to receiving your license is very intense and requires a lot of paperwork. So, Tyler and Mandi did all the necessary paperwork and jumped over any hurdles as was necessary until they completed the entire process. "It only took a few months of rigorous training, mountains of paperwork and a couple home studies/fire inspections to become licensed as foster-to-adopt parents."
And the draining process proved to be worth it when they finally had their license approved. That same week they were already notified that they could pick up their baby boy. His name was Hunter and Tyler and Mandi were so excited to meet him.
Love at First Sight
Mandi said that a “whirlwind of emotions" soon followed. The couple first made a stop at Target in order to buy all the baby items they needed. “We arrived at children’s services and there was Hunter, all bundled up in a receiving blanket, and he was being held by our caseworker,” said Mandi.
Additionally, Mandi stated, “He was eight days old and absolutely perfect. We fell in love with him instantly.”
Constant Stress
Still, being an adoptive parent isn't easy and can create a lot of stress for the family. The chance always exists that the biological parents will later come out and threaten the new family and try to win their child back.
This is what would ultimately happen to Tyler and Mandi, and they would soon realize that their little family wasn't official quite yet.