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WARREN -- For Michelle and Donald Beauchene, discovering 11-month-old Lilly at Cardinal Kiddie Kollege in Youngstown four years ago was the moment that changed the trajectory of their lives.
Donald Beauchene, a Warren firefighter, and Michelle, an administrator at Cardinal, already had begun talking what they would do when they retire -- vacations, possibly a home in Florida or visiting friends and family across the country, but Lilly changed all those plans.
They fell madly in love with her and agreed to become her foster parents.
Nearly four years later, as the couple began the initial steps to adopt, Trumbull County Children Services asked if they would have interest in fostering her baby sister, Lucianna.
Now, the couple, who already had a blended family with six kids between them, are looking to adopt two more siblings of Lilly and Lucianna.
Lilly was adopted April 20. Lucianna was adopted Friday during the annual Trumbull County Adoption Day. The day coincides with National Adoption Month in November. Other families whose adoptions were finalized were Leah Marsh of Warren and Tracy and Logan Reinard of Cortland.
There have been 33 adoptions completed in Trumbull County so far in 2017.
"We average between 20 and 30 adoptions per year," Renee Mraulak, supervisor of foster and adoption services with children services, said.
"We have an increasing need for foster parents because of the opioid crisis."
Mraulak said there is an acute need for foster parents willing to take in older children, especially teens.
"A lot of families are frightened off at the thought of parenting teenagers," she said. "However, once you get to know our teens, they are not as scary as some people imagine. Children just need love.
The Reinards adopted Jaden, 12, who they met shortly after the couple married about three years ago.
"We talked about the possibility of adopting a child when we were engaged," Tracy Reinard said. "We knew we wanted to adopt Jaden soon after meeting her. "
Marsh said she decided to bring a foster child into her home shortly after hearing a presentation from a children services case worker who spoke at her school in Newton Falls. On Friday, she adopted 21-month-old Analiese Marsh.
"I wanted to build my future family," Marsh said.
Trumbull County Probate Court Judge James Fredericka, who presided over the adoptions, said their are more than 100,000 foster children across the U.S. who need families who are willing to step out on faith and provide them with love and care.
"Foster parenting not only changes the lives for the children, but also for the adults," Fredericka said.
An adoptive parent himself, Fredericka said foster and adopted children bring love and joy to families who open up their homes for them.
Probate court has had the adoption program for approximately 18 years.
rsmith@tribtoday.com
Want to know more?
For more information about adoption, call Trumbull County Children Services at 330-372-2010.