November is National Adoption Month and Buckner Foster Care and Adoption in Lufkin, Texas, is celebrating three children finding their forever homes through adoption. 

Joseph and Kathryn Jones have been foster parents for a little more than a year. Siblings Alaina, 2, and Josiah, 1, were their first placement. While Joseph and Kathryn were dedicated to helping reunify the children with their biolgical family, when the parental rights were terminated, they knew they wanted Alaina and Josiah to be a part of their forever family. 

"They are some of the sweetest, most caring people. Kathryn is very nurturing and helped make the children feel at home from day one" said Wendy Robuck, foster care supervisor in Lufkin.

Alaina and Josiah join big sisters, Klaira and Kayleigh, wearing shirts on adoption day that summed up their foster care and adoption journey: "Faith in God includes faith in his timing."

After fostering six children in two years, Joel and Leslie Casiday adopted 1-year-old Colton this week. According to Robuck, Joel and Leslie are "the epitome of what foster parents should be." They have always understood the goal of foster care is reunification and worked to establish relationships with the biological families and be a resource to them as they worked on their goals toward reunification. Each time a child left to return home to their parents, Joel and Leslie sent them home with a Dr. Suess book that was signed by anyone who had a significant part of their lives while they were in foster care. And scattered throughout the pages and images, Joel and Leslie put Bible verses specifically picked for the child. 

"All our foster families are amazing and special," said Robuck. "But the Casidays definitely stand out. They are amazing and always go above and beyond what is required of them. The bonds they are able to create with the biological families even after the children have returned is so great that at the adoption of Colton, one of the moms of a former foster child attended the ceremony to support the Casidays." 

Congratulations to the Jones family and the Casiday family!