There are many sad stories about kids who turn 18 in the foster care system and have nowhere to go. Fortunately that wasn’t a problem for Opiri Granger. She managed to get adopted just 10 days shy of her 18th birthday. The family never intended to cut it that close, but adoption can sometimes take a while to process. Opiri changed her name to Genesis when she was adopted.
She knows the reality that many older kids don’t get adopted. She is thankful she was placed with her now mom, Robin Granger. The teenager has lived in the Granger home for about a year and a half as a foster placement. Her adoption was an exciting milestone in her life. “It means a lot to me because it’s like I have an official family now, a family I can call my own,” she said.
Her mom, Robin Granger, was adopted from Korea when she was 9 months old. She has four stepchildren, plus another child she adopted, and one she is working to adopt. She really wanted to be there for the kids who are in foster care. Genesis was her first teenage placement. She says the experience went much better than expected. “Once we connected, it’s like the whole world came together and said, ‘This is the way it should be,” she said. “Even though we just have had a year and a half together, we have the rest of our lives together.”
Genesis expressed her feelings about her adoption this way: “It’s great. It feels amazing. It means a lot to me because it’s like I have an official family now, a family to call my own.”
Many may wonder why someone would need to adopt a person who is almost an adult. Simply put, everyone needs a family. Those first few adult years can be difficult. A lot of new, life-changing decisions need to be made. Those can pose a challenge to anyone, let alone someone who may have grown up without guidance. Parents can provide plenty of love, support, and encouragement to children of any age.
