The Hill family has always wanted to give their last name to their foster daughter, Lily. A Smith County court gave the East Texas family permission to do so last week. They opted to foster Lily when she was a toddler, with the intention of only fostering her for a short time in order to assist their friends in caring for a kid. Lily, on the other hand, became a member of the family along the road, and her time with them was extended to six years.
Lily, who is now eight years old, was adopted from foster care this month. According to CBS, the Hill family and Lily testified to the judge last Monday about why she should be accepted into their family.
About 80 people from the Hill family’s community were in court to support them. “A lot of people know (our) story and they got to see God reign today,” adoptive father Nate Hill said to CBS, adding that it is rare to find interracial adoptions like theirs.
“Only 2% of African American families adopt children who are not African American. Even on this journey, the Lord has used us to break down so many walls to cancel out so many stereotypes,” Nate Hill said. Even though Lily is white, the Hill family, who are Black, said love has no color. “She’s the baby girl,” adoptive mother Lakenya Hill noted. “She’s changed everything about me.”
Interracial adoption stories typically include white families adopting Black children. When Black parents adopt white children, authorities and the general public suspect something is amiss. Four years ago, a Black North Carolina mom discussed her story with her adopted white son, especially when they went out.
“We get a lot of stares,” Keia Jones-Baldwin told TODAY Parents. “I’m frequently asked if I’m Princeton’s babysitter. … I get, ‘Why didn’t you let him stay with a family of his own race?’”
People in the Hill family’s community, on the other hand, rallied to their cause. Officials are even urging people to step forward to adopt a kid if necessary, since there are approximately 88 youngsters in East Texas foster care that are available for adoption.