The Cameron Family Spotlight

Chantele Cameron was called to be a mother. But after years of fertility treatments and procedures, her doctor told her it would be best to consider adoption.

“I always knew I wanted to be a mom, and I wanted the whole experience of pregnancy,” Chantele said. “When I accepted that I couldn’t do it this way, I prayed to God and told Him, ‘If I can’t have a baby through my body, let me do it your way.’”

So, Chantele and her husband Ewen decided to begin their adoption journey through another child placing agency, but they ran into personal setbacks and their application was declined. Not long after, a colleague at Chantele’s job with Chevron told her that he had partnered with Arms Wide and successfully adopted a child from foster care. The Cameron Family then reached out to us and told the case worker about their struggles with the foster care system, and the case worker pledged to argue their case so that they could move forward with the process.

They started the licensing process right before the pandemic hit in 2020, so they weren’t connected with a child until March 2021. It was a moment Chantele will never forget, and one that happened because they had agreed to accept children in their home on an emergency basis. “I was in the Kroger parking lot when Arms Wide called to tell me they had a newborn baby that needed a home immediately,” she recalled. “I called my husband and he left work early so we could stock up on baby supplies.”

Finally Parents

Later that night, Chantele and Ewen met newborn baby Allie. Allie was the fourth child of a birth mother, who struggled with substance abuse. Throughout the next year as foster parents for Allie, the Camerons did Zoom visits with her birth mother and provided supports for some of Allie’s needs, which included physical and behavioral therapy. Meeting Allie’s birth mother was hard for Chantele, who initially felt like she was taking someone’s baby away. She desperately wanted her to know that her child was safe and loved in this home.

“I met Allie’s birth mother in person once, and through getting to know me, I think she finally realized that I could give her child a better life,” Chantele said.

After 12 months of her legal case, the birth mother’s parental rights were terminated, which meant that Allie needed a forever family. The Cameron Family adopted Allie on September 29, 2022, and the whole family was ecstatic. But that wasn’t the end of their journey…

A Sister for Allie

A few months later, Arms Wide called Chantele to inform her that Allie’s birth mother had just had another child named Addison and see if she would be interested in adopting her sister. Because they had already adopted Allie, the process to adopt Addie was supposed to be shorter, but they experienced further setbacks due to the birth family’s legal challenges and personal life challenges. Chantele persevered for the sake of the siblings and finally adopted Addie on December 16, 2024.

Now, Chantele is relieved that all the paperwork, training and home visits are all behind her, and she can just be the mom she always knew she would be. She helps her daughters get to dance and swim lessons, tend to their garden in the backyard, and is always tripping over toys! Despite all the challenges and setbacks, she strongly urges people to consider adopting from foster care. “There are so many children who need a good home,” she says. “If you have the means, take care of the children who need you.”