NY: “This is a way to start a family and have a family”: How adopting an older child can change lives (Includes video)
WKBW – June 10, 2024
It’s been five years since Lori and her daughter, Kylee, met for the first time. “She was just this little 9-year-old girl ,,, and I just fell in love instantly,” said Lori. In 2018 Lori decided it was time for her to start her family. “I always wanted to be a mom. And so many years ago I was a single person. I decided I was going to figure out how to do that on my own,” she explained. Her journey to adoption brought her to Adoption Star in Amherst. The adoption agency works with people who are hoping to start families in New York, Ohio and Florida, and connects them with kids who are available for adoption all over the country. Lori made an appointment to get some information, and what she learned ended up changing her life. “The lady that was talking to me asked were you interested in infant adoption or older child adoption – and I said infant adoption,” she explained. “And in the back of my head I thought — why not older child adoption? I don’t even know what that is.” The Adopt an Older Kid program, also known as A-OK, is a program that connects children who are older with forever families.