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Fall 2012
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Adoption Through the Generations
H
annah Draper believes in the power of creating families through adoption, which makes sense, since adoption is a tradition in her family. Hannah was adopted as an infant through the Children’s Bureau (which is now Children & Families First), her mother was adopted as a young girl in Dover, and her grandmother was adopted too. Now it seems that even her great-grandmother may have been adopted as well. Hannah loves to talk about adoption, and was excited to let her mother take the spotlight to share her own story. Jane Draper, born in Crisfield, Maryland, was the daughter of an Eastern Shore waterman. Her birth mother grew weary of life on the water, so moved out with Jane and her younger brother to a small house by the railroad tracks when Jane was just 3-years-old. She says, “If it weren’t for the men on the trains, my brother
and I would have starved to death. They made sure we had food and milk.” One day, a social worker, Mrs. Rawlins, came and placed her with a new family, who loved her dearly and offered her wonderful opportunities. In fact, Jane was one of the first women to graduate from the Law School of William and Mary. In Hannah’s words, “It was a real rags to riches story.” Sadly, Jane has never learned what happened to her baby brother. When Hannah and her partner Debbie Jones were ready to become parents themselves, calling Children & Families First was only natural, thanks to Hannah’s personal connection with the agency. The couple began working with Mike McHugh, a social worker in CFF’s Foster Care and Adoption Unit. Hannah and Debbie were open to parenting all different kinds of children, but were clear on one detail: the children had to be school-aged. So when Mike called looking for a placement for three school-aged brothers, Hannah and Debbie were ready. That placement only lasted 24-hours – the birth father was able to take the boys. Not long after, Mike called asking Hannah and Debbie to provide respite for three school-aged sisters – but again, the placement was short-lived. Mike wasn’t about to give up – he knew the right match would come along. In spite of the couple’s stated restriction against young children, Mike called them about a 2-year-old boy and his 8-year-old sister. Hannah and Debbie didn’t think twice about it – without even seeing a picture of the kids, they agreed to open their home. They met the kids for the first time on July 21, 2010, and by the time school started that fall, the siblings, Hayden and Elizabeth, were with them full-time. On January 1, 2012, Hannah and Debbie were among the first couples to have a civil union when Delaware’s new law went into effect. On January 18, 2012, Hayden and Elizabeth’s adoption was finalized. The household bustles with activity. Hayden wakes up from a nap, and starts playing with action figures. Elizabeth hops off the bus with a smile, ready to have her picture taken. And remember how Hannah and Debbie only wanted school-aged children? They are now proud foster parents to a 6-week-old baby boy. As we gather three generations of adoptees – Jane, Hannah, and Elizabeth (pictured above) – under the blooming crape myrtle in the front yard, we take a moment to marvel at the wonder of family.
For more information on adoption, visit our website at www.cffde.org