Ricky, Juan and Elena

For Ricky, 9, Juan, 8, and Elena, 5, being adopted by their maternal aunt was the happy ending to a traumatic experience.

For years, these three children saw their father abuse their mother. They would hide behind the couch until the fights were over. Once their father held a knife to the then 2-year-old Elena’s throat. Years later, Ricky would recall the violence with remarks like “I remember when dad made mom’s face bleed.”

After a domestic violence incident in the Spring of 2008, their father was removed from the home, and the children were left with their mother. 

Soon after, a caseworker visited the home and found Ricky, Juan and Elena unattended. A dependency and neglect case was opened and the children were placed with their aunt. Betsy Fordyce, a Children’s Law Center attorney, was appointed as the children’s guardian ad litem.

At Betsy’s urging, all parental rights were terminated in December of 2009.

Luckily Ricky, Juan and Elena’s aunt was willing and able to continue to give them a home. On November 18, 2011, National Adoption Day, Betsy accompanied the family to court and the siblings were formally adopted by their aunt.

“My life is colorful because of these children,” said their aunt, “One is a picky eater, one eats everything and the other is a little princess, and I love them all for who they are.”