Family Spotlight: Meet the Marini Family!

Joseph and Katie Marini struggled with fertility but they always knew they wanted to adopt. “I was never one of those women that dreamed of carrying a child, I just wanted to be a mother and my husband wanted to be a father.” You can say they met their match when Kaitlyn came to live with them in 2009, after being in foster care for two and a half years. According to her parents, “She was ready for a family of her own.” Kaitlyn is an avid cheerleader who is kind and sweet, but struggles with school. Thankfully, her parents say the school system is AMAZING to work with the family to ensure that Kaitlyn is as successful as possible. 

It didn't take much convincing or persuading for Joseph and Katie to make the final decision to adopt from foster care. They attended a few adoption parties and information sessions for people considering adoption, but in the end, they were matched by their local Adoption Licensing Unit. While the stigma of adopting from foster care can be a challenge and even a deterrent for some families, for the Marini’s all the fears they had going in were eased once they started building a relationship with their daughter. “People assume that these children are damaged to the point where they cannot function in a family but they are often surprised to see that Kaitlyn is doing so well and is so secure in herself.” 

The Marini Family resides in Massachusetts, and their story was sponsored by Senator Scott Brown.

To read more about the Marini Family, read their blog post.