Washington county adoption finalization races to finish 

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Talk about an ‘amazing race.’ A Washington county Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) foster family needed to place a very special young man on the ‘fast track’ for adoption. It was a race against the clock and the calendar.

Jeff and Stephanie Warneke have opened their home to foster children for years. Since 1997, they have fostered nearly 90 children and teens and finalized four adoptions through OKDHS. “There are so many kids out there who need families,” says Stephanie. “We knew we wanted to help.”

In August 2012, they became foster parents to 17-year-old Trevor. It didn’t take long for Jeff and Stephanie to realize that they wanted to adopt Trevor and become his ‘forever family.’ But Trevor wasn’t so sure he wanted to be adopted – at least not initially. That changed when Trevor was involved in an accident that nearly took his life.

One afternoon, Trevor stepped into the path of an oncoming pickup truck. The vehicle was going 45mph when it struck him. His injuries were life-threatening and he was quickly medi-flighted to a trauma center where he stayed for 10 days. During his recovery, Jeff and Stephanie and the rest of their family rallied around Trevor, and the care and love they showered on him was enough to change the young man’s mind about adoption.

“While Trevor was in the hospital, our relationship with him really took off,” says Stephanie.  “He was very close to his 18th birthday so we knew we had to act fast.”

At age 18, foster children ‘age out’ of the foster care system and are no longer eligible for adoption.

Trevor’s adoption papers were filed on Dec. 19, 2012. He would turn 18 on Jan. 3, 2013, so the clock was ticking. Loudly.

With only two weeks to finalize the adoption, OKDHS Region 4 Adoptions Field Manager Linda Foster contacted Region 5 Adoptions Field Manager Alesia Clement for help with the process. Adoptions supervisor Carol Lackey says caseworkers Laura Paris and Christina H. Smith coordinated their efforts to expedite the paperwork. The adoption was finalized in the courtroom of Judge Curtis DeLapp on Jan. 2, 2013 - just in the nick of time.

“Everyone worked endlessly to make this happen,” says Stephanie. “Laura even worked on her days off and made it a really smooth transition. Everyone at DHS was really great to work with. They made it easy.”

Deborah Goodman, OKDHS Adoption Services, says everyone knew they were cutting it close. “17 years, 11 months and 29 days was really down to the wire!” she says.

Trevor has recovered from his injuries and will graduate from high school in May 2013. He plans to study veterinary medicine at Oklahoma State University.

Foster says there are 325 children in foster care who need adoption before they age out of the system. She says Trevor’s story has touched a lot of people and that “cases like this are great reminders of our purpose.”

Trevor (on crutches) officially joins the Warneke family. 

If you would like to become an OKDHS foster or adoptive family, call 1-800-376-9729 or visit okbridgefamilies.com.

###