‘Officially Caseys,’ one thing immune to outbreak
SCOTTSBURG, Ind. – They got the email at 10 a.m. The judge had signed off.
Sarah and Scott Casey crept into the older girls’ bedroom, where they were still sleeping, and flicked on the lights.
“Girls, wake up,” they told them. “You’re adopted.”
Fourteen-year-old Carly sat up, still half asleep. “Why didn’t you tell me?” “We just found out.”
There would be no photos from the court hearing to remember. There would be no swearing in or testimonies or gavel-banging. But it was just as official: They were Caseys, signed and sealed.
No kids to a full house
Sarah was sitting at work Monday when she got the news that the adoption had been postponed to April 30 because of coronavirus. She started crying, trying to imagine how the girls were going to react.
How much longer could they wait? What if the virus just kept pushing back the date even further?
Sarah, 32, and Scott, 34, had been raising the girls for three years. The adoption hearing had been set for Thursday. Already, there had been one setback after another, and each time, the girls had been crushed. Even in ideal circumstances, an adoption through the Department of Children and Families can take years. It can feel procedural and impersonal, and the Caseys were ready for a celebration.
Four years ago, Sarah and Scott had no kids. Then an extended family member had a baby girl and left her at the hospital. So they went to the DCS office, and two weeks later, they brought home Lilly.
A few months later, they took in two of Lilly’s sisters. And a few months after that, after moving into a bigger house, they took in the other two.
Just like that, they were a party of seven, with Sierra, Carly, Taylor, Bella and Lilly. Lilly was adopted in 2017, and Thursday was going to be the big day for the oldest three.
The girls have come a long way, Sarah said. Taylor, 11 now, used to never call them “Mom” or “Dad.” But her birth mother stopped visiting, and eventually her parental rights were terminated,
and Taylor realized that Sarah and Scott were always there.
Now, Sierra and Carly, who are 15 and 14, like to sing and dance around the house. Carly is a cheerleader and Sierra loves math. The little ones, Bella, 4, and Lilly, 3, play house together. Taylor is figuring out what she likes.
When the family first started going through the adoption process, Sarah and Scott asked the girls if they wanted to change their last name. They weren’t going to force them.
Taylor was the first to say yes.
No more waiting
Before the coronavirus chaos, the family ordered matching shirts to wear to court for the occasion. They say “Gotcha forever,” “Team Casey,” and the date: March 19, 2020.
The adoption didn’t happen like they thought it would, but at least the date on the shirts was still right.
The Casey family was one of the first in Indiana to finalize their adoption electronically because of the virus, but they won’t be the last. Other families are opting to do it over the phone.
It’s not ideal, Sarah said, but her family couldn’t bear to wait even one more day. They were planning to celebrate with extended family at a restaurant, like they did after Lilly’s adoption. Instead, they got carryout burritos and ate them at home.
Maybe it didn’t matter. The party isn’t what makes them a family.
“It’s still a super exciting day,” Sarah said. “We’re officially Caseys today.”