The Yonda Family Spotlight

For as long as she can remember, Amber Yonda imagined adopting. When she was a little girl, she asked her mom if she could even adopt her friend. “I’ll feed him and take care of him,” she said, to which her mom gently explained that that’s not how adoption works. When Amber grew up and married Matthew, she was transparent about her desire to adopt, even if they initially had kids through pregnancy. When the biological path to parenthood didn’t pan out for them, they moved forward with adoption.

They attended several informational sessions with child placing agencies around Houston, but Arms Wide stuck out for their small size and personal touch.

“We could tell Arms Wide really wants to understand and take care of their families,” Amber told us.

The Yondas went through all the steps to become foster parents, and then the real challenge began – the waiting game. The COVID-19 pandemic started right after their home study was approved, so it took 10 months for a child to be connected with their family.

At the time, Arms Wide needed an emergency family for a little girl with little advance notice. For Amber and Matthew, it was a sudden leap into parenthood. “I just remember going to bed that night thinking, ‘We’re parents, we’re responsible for a human!’” Amber recollected. But she was ready. Her best friend Lydia has five kids, so Amber has taken on an aunt role in their lives, babysitting and hosting sleepovers often. After caring for the little girl for a short period of time, the Yondas helped her reunite with her biological family. Though this transition was hard for them, they still remained hopeful they would build their family through adoption.

Meeting Kevin and Genesis

One day, Arms Wide sent Amber and Matthew an email with images of two siblings attached – Kevin, age 6, and Genesis, age 4. “I remember opening the pictures and feeling this instant connection,” said Amber. “These are my kids.”

Kevin and Genesis needed a stable and permanent loving home for most of their lives. After being separated from their biological families due to physical abuse and neglect, they were connected with a neighbor who used to babysit them. After three years, she could no longer take care of them, and they moved around several different homes before Arms Wide connected them with Amber and Matthew. When the kids walked up to them during their first visit, Kevin nervously asked Amber, “Are you our mom now?” Slightly startled, and understanding it was a little more complicated than that, she said, “Yes, we’re going to do our best to be a permanent home for you.”

In Amber’s words, the kids fit right into their lives, “like a missing piece of a puzzle.” They adjusted comfortably at home, and quickly befriended their “cousins,” Lydia’s five kids. Therapy continues to help them process their early experiences. Arms Wide’s trauma-informed parent training as well as Amber’s background in clinical mental health counseling has helped the new parents manage and navigate behavioral challenges that arise.

Countdown to Adoption

However, it was hard for the newly expanded Yonda family to feel permanent while managing the routine paperwork and home visits that are required during the adoption process. They couldn’t wait for adoption day and even had a whiteboard counting down to the big day. Kevin’s teachers would tell Amber how excited he was for his adoption, and they even let him present to the class about what adoption is and what it means to him.

When the day finally came, it was a huge affair. Family and friends came over to the house, and they baked cakes for both children. After the judge spoke and confirmed the adoption of Kevin and Genesis Yonda, they had a full day of celebration with their loved ones. “The waiting is hard, the process is hard, but it’s all worth it in the end,” Amber told us.

“To see these kids go from hiding in their shell and traumatized, to thriving, enjoying life and being kids is amazing. Every kid deserves that.”