November is National Adoption Month, and one single mother in Ohio decided to celebrate by quadrupling the size of her family. Math teacher Treka Engleman, who is 30, said she was ready to make her three foster children a permanent part of her life.
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Adoption Day
Adoptions are normally private, but some counties hold public Adoption Days in hopes of encouraging other people to consider adoption.
Judge Ralph Winkler opened Engleman’s hearing by stating that she had “won the trophy for the most children.”
Winkler joked with the children as he explained that signing the paper was equivalent to saying, “Judge, I want Treka to be my forever mom.” All three children agreed, and with three strokes of his pen, the judge declared that Engleman was now the mother of 16-year-old Mercedes, 12-year-old Alexis and three-year-old Elijah Lee.
Friends and Family
In an interview with a local news channel, Engleman acknowledged the difficulty of taking on three children as a single mother, but noted that she has a large extended family, a supportive church and many friends.
During the hearing, Engleman and the children wore matching sweatshirts that read “Officially Team Engleman 2019.”
A Happy Ending
The Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services posted a video of Engleman’s courtroom hearing.
Alexis said having Treka as their mother was “a dream come true.”
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