Adoption Stories
Meet The Gallops Family
Michael and Jill began their adoption journey more than a year ago. Soon after getting married 8 years ago they realized they both shared a passion to help kids, especially those who come from hurting places. Michael had worked for CPS a decade before and Jill had worked with many different children through Girl Scouts so they knew almost immediately they wanted to become foster parents and adopt through the Child Protective Services. Initially they couldn't because their merged family already had seven children and adding more to a newly blended family was not a good idea. So they waited until early 2010 and then began pursuing adoption in earnest.
Michael and Jill started the training process with Arrow Child & Family Ministries but after completing nearly all of the classwork Michael was hired by Arrow. To avoid a conflict of interest they had to transfer to another agency.
After completing the training and licensing process they soon opened their home in late October to two beautiful children who they fostered for about eight months. During that time they were also seeking 2 more children they could adopt. The Gallops' submitted their interest in about 25 different children and sibling groups over the next several months. Of the hundreds of families expressing an interest in the same kids they were sometimes turned down completely and other times they were told they were the second or third choice. The Gallops' continually expressed that they wanted the children that God intended for them. In early January they received a call from the agency adoption worker who asked if the Gallops' had submitted on a sibling group of four from San Antonio. They had not submitted on these kids but were definitely interested - even though they had only been looking for two to adopt. The CPS caseworker had heard about the Gallops' from a caseworker for another child. Four weeks later the Gallops' were in a selection staffing where the agency worker and the CPS worker discussed the children and the potential families. The result was that the Gallops' were selected to adopt this sibling group of four Hispanic children.
The next step was to read through the boxes of paperwork that explained the children's history. Then another meeting was held to make sure the Gallops' wanted to move forward. The Gallops then drove to San Antonio for their initial visit with the children on a Wednesday afternoon. They met the children at their foster home and immediately fell in love with them. The Gallops' were able to take the children away from the foster home for about five hours so they went to eat and then to the mall to hang out and get to know each other. When they dropped the children off at the foster home the kids repeatedly said they wanted to leave with the Gallops' right then! As they were saying goodbye one of the kids gave Michael a big hug and whispered in his ear, "Bye Dad. I love you." He said he cried for the first hundred miles as the family drove back home.
Ten days later the Gallops' returned for a weekend visit. During the next three days they swam in the hotel pool, went to Six Flags and a movie, and just hung out. Taking them back to the foster home after that weekend was hard but they knew the wait wouldn't be much longer. The children finally moved in with the Gallops' on Easter weekend. Amazingly, the two foster children already in their home were close to be reunified and had begun weekend visits with their biological father. This was important because the Gallops' were only allowed to have 7 minor children in the home at one time and Michael's biological daughters came on weekends to visit.
Carlos, Chyanne and Hopey have blossomed and grown since moving in with the Gallops and were extremely excited when the adoption was finalized on November 7, 2011*. The children's biological great-grandmother attended the finalization hearing and was very happy for the children and for the Gallops. Looking back, the Gallops' realized that when they began this process they said they wanted the children God picked for them. Ultimately that is what they received because the Gallops had not known about these children until CPS called. God had truly picked the Gallops family.
* Ashley, the sibling other sister, made the decision to move in a different direction and was ultimately not a part of the adoption. Ashley's brother and sisters will be able to maintain contact with her.
