The Benson Family Spotlight

Sarah and Scott Benson always knew that, due to medical challenges, they would grow their family through foster care and adoption. When the time was right, Sarah began researching and reaching out to child placing agencies, and Arms Wide was one of the few that responded.

“I’m the type of person who has a lot of different questions, and the staff at Arms Wide took the time to answer all of them, rather than send me a link to an FAQ page,” she recalled. “I later realized these questions are answered at the Orientation, but it’s that personal touch that I really wanted.”

Although adoption was always their ultimate goal, Sarah and Scott chose not to limit themselves and instead pursued the Foster-to-Adopt path. This allowed them to provide temporary care for children while remaining open to the possibility of adopting a child who felt like the right fit for their forever family.

“We didn’t have a specific idea of what this journey looked like for us, we just wanted to make a kid’s life better for however long they were with us,” Sarah told us.

Our Foster Care Adoption team first matched the Bensons with Jacob, a child who needed a temporary family through foster care. A month later, Jacob was reconnected with his aunt and uncle, who had become licensed providers of foster care as well. When it was time for Jacob to leave, it hit Sarah and Scott harder than expected. Jacob left their home on a Wednesday, and the new foster parents decided they would take the weekend to process and grieve. But the next day, Foster and Adoption Supervisor Jennifer Roderick called them, explaining that there were two young boys, Noah and Levi, who needed a family. While Jennifer acknowledged that it was sooner than they would have liked, she truly believed Sarah and Scott would be a great match for them, knowing what they wanted out of this process.

“After she got off the phone with Jennifer, Sarah called me and explained the situation,” Scott said. “I reminded her that we promised we were going to go all in on this, and this is what it means to go all in.” Scott then told his boss he had to leave immediately to pick up two new kids.

Permanent Parents

Within five minutes of meeting Levi and Noah, only four months and 18 months at the time, the Bensons were attached. Noah was sweet and shy, and Levi was friendly and cuddly. Transitioning from no children to parenting two in just over a month was undoubtedly a challenge, but every moment with the boys was worth it. Although the circumstances surrounding their separation from their birth family suggested the possibility of adoption, nothing was legally certain yet.

“We both knew we wanted to adopt them from day one, but we had to manage our expectations and guard our hearts,” Sarah said.

Though Sarah and Scott felt they were prepared by Arms Wide’s training, there was often a new situation they didn’t exactly know how to respond to. Fortunately, their case worker, Yajaira, was always just a text or call away to help them or reassure them that they’re doing the right thing. Sarah and Scott also had enthusiastic parents and sisters to lean on when parenting got overwhelming, as it does for any parent. Sarah even connected with people at her job who had adopted and been foster parents.

“My favorite part of that first year was getting to throw Noah’s second birthday and Levi’s first birthday,” said Sarah. “The joy on their faces was priceless.”

Just over a year later, parental rights were officially terminated, and Sarah and Scott were finally able to adopt Noah and Levi. The couple was overjoyed, especially knowing that the process could have stretched on for years. The Benson Family Adoption Day took place on May 2, 2025 at a courthouse in Houston.

“It was very emotional for me,” said Sarah. “Everyone was telling me how proud they were that the kids didn’t cry, but I was crying the whole time!”

“We knew that they would become our forever children for a while, but hearing that judge confirm it put a huge, genuine smile on my face,” Scott recalled.