A 16-year-old girl in Louisiana's foster care system looks out at a swamp during a visit with a potential adoptive mother in 2023. The adoption fell through when the state's Department of Children and Family Services would not share the teen's medical records with the prospective adoptive mother. The teenage girl and her potential adoptive mother shared a love of abstract art, a fear of sharks and a deep longing for family.
Karen Angel, 60, hoped to welcome a child into her home in New York’s Hudson Valley after decades of focusing on her career. As she perused an adoption website, in Louisiana stood out to her. The 15-year-old’s profile said she loved school, spending time outdoors and playing with animals.
Angel was looking for a child who was academically inclined, who could join her on long hikes and who would adore her four rescue dogs. On paper, they were a perfect match. Angel sent an inquiry about the girl, reminding caseworkers that she had ruled out taking in children with mental health diagnoses that could put her, her dogs or her home in danger.
The paperwork she received from noted a handful of medical conditions that Angel agreed were manageable. Angel asked to see medical records to confirm those diagnoses and started talking to the teen. They chatted by video for the first time last September, and Angel was immediately impressed with the teen’s maturity.
Their relationship bloomed and a couple months later, Angel and her dogs road-tripped to Louisiana to.