November 06, 2007 11:39 pm
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By Debby Schamber
The Orange Leader
Kyle and Michelle Tubbeville, opened their hearts to adopt 9-month-old Lexi and 19-month-old William in November 2006. Now a year later the family of four will grow to add 6-month old Konner.
Lexi now 20 months old and William almost three-years-old will welcome their biological baby brother to be a part of the family when it becomes official on Thursday at the Orange County courthouse.
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services will host a “Heart Gallery” during the adoption of nine children by six families from noon to 2 p.m. in the 128th District Courtroom. Photos of children waiting to be adopted will be displayed in the hallway outside of the court room.
“This is the biggest and best life-changing experience,” Kyle Tubbeville said. “Adopting their biological sibling was a big decision, but easy to make since we couldn’t imagine splitting them up.”
The Tubbevilles consider the children not only answers to their prayers, but also to their friends and family. They are going to celebrate an annual “gotcha” day to commemorate the day of the children’s adoptions.
“We have really had a great experience,” Michelle Tubblefield said. “ It is just a few bad experiences that might be publicized, but adoption is really a great thing.”
The Tubblefields started the adoption process in February 2004 and became foster parents for Lexi and William in April 2006.
The road to adoption started with classes. The CPS program requires potential foster parents to attend Parent Resource for Information, Development, Education pre-service training program. The PRIDE is a competency-based program consisting of 10 three hour sessions. The classes cover topics discipline, and the effects of fostering and adopting on the family and more.
The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services is launching an adoption campaign during November which is national adoption month.
Texas needs foster and adoptive parents for children of all ages. Some of the children have special medical, physical or emotional needs. Some of the children are deaf and there is a big need for parents who know sign language, according to information from DFPS.
“We have children right here in our own community that need a forever family,” Pulliam said. “Foster care is only a temporary place and all kids need a family they can call their own.”
The DFPS program has roughly 4,400 abused or neglected children who need loving adoptive families. More than 1,700 of these children are 10 years of age or older. Locally in Region 5 which covers 15 counties there are 145 children waiting to be adopted. Even closer to home there are 14 children in Orange County ready to be adopted with 84 in foster care.
Officials are also looking for foster families. To learn about becoming a licensed/foster adoptive parent check out www.dfps.state.tx.us/Child_Protection/services.asp.
Reach this reporter at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2613, or dschamber@orangeleader.com
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