Becoming foster parents was a dream come true for Michael and Demetrius Stewart. Both knew early in their lives that they wanted to be a foster parent. Demetrius grew up in the foster care system and nine of Michael’s family members were adopted.
A year ago, Michael and Demtrius connected with Child and Family Services Foster Care and Adoption Program to start the process. That’s when the family met Xavier, and their lives changed for the better.
“We started off as respite foster parents and Xavier was with us every other weekend,” explained Michael. “At first, Xavier was a little nervous, but it didn’t take long for him to settle in and soon enough, he referred to the room he was staying in as ‘his room.’ A month later, he was permanently placed in our home.”
In those transitional moments, Michael knew Xavier felt loved, cared for and protected – something he was always hoping for. They could all feel that this was going to be their forever family. The couple had to wait at least a year to officially adopt Xavier, but they were lucky enough to get a date during National Adoption Month.
“We’ve always wanted to be parents, and we definitely didn’t anticipate adopting Xavier, but it seemed like everything fell into place for us and it was meant to be,” emphasized Michael. “He is our everything.”
Both fathers wanted to make Xavier’s adoption day extra special. Michael remembered a time when he picked Xavier up from school and Xavier mentioned how he has never ridden in a limousine before. To surprise Xavier, Michael arranged for a party bus to transport them to family court. When the bus pulled up in front of Xavier’s home, his whole face lit up and he excitedly asked, “Dad, is that really what we’re riding in?”
The court room was filled with extended family members, all anticipating the moment Xavier would officially become Michael and Demetrius’ son. Both fathers were teary-eyed when the judge announced Xavier’s last name as Stewart.
“I think everyone who has the space, time and compassion should become a foster parent,” said Michael. “This experience has been amazing, and we can’t thank our dream team at Child and Family Services enough for supporting us every step of the way.”
If you are interested in learning more about foster care, please visit Foster Care and Adoption in Buffalo – Child and Family Services.