Help Keep a Family Together

My Name is Neilia Brown and I set up this fundraiser to help two dear friends, Kim and Meg Sweet. They are foster parents who've successfully adopted 2 toddlers and they want to adopt their third child, KB. All three came to the Sweets as infants so they have a strong sibling bond. Because the laws of Indiana are bio-parent centered, DCS is pushing to reunify him with his birth mother. Sometimes that's a really positive thing. Other times it's not. I believe removing him from the only parents and siblings he's ever known to reunite him with a bio-mom who is unstable could result in a terrible outcome.

The Sweets have been working with a lawyer to fight for the right to adopt KB, and he estimates it will cost $20,000 to $30,000 dollars to keep this family together. Kim and Meg have drained their savings and don't know how they are going to raise the money to go to court for KB. They need help. Your donation no matter how big or small will go towards paying legal fees. I know Kim and Meg would be humbled by your generosity if you are able to donate something to help keep this family together.

(See below to learn more about Meg, Kim, and their happy, loving, rambunctious toddlers.)

On August­­­ 8, 2019, KB came to live with the Sweet family as a foster child. He was a teeny tiny preemie who had spent his first 40 days in the NICU. He was dehydrated and couldn’t even produce tears. Despite being two and a half months old, preemie clothes were big on him. He required early intervention from First Steps and had to be fed in a side-line position just to get adequate nutrition. The Sweets were in love! On October 4, he was reunified with his birth mother and moved into her home. The two families stayed in touch. Things took a downturn, though, and on December 12, 2019, he was returned to the Sweets, where he has remained.

When he returned to the Sweets, he joined two other foster babies, and the three of them have been raised essentially as triplets. He is the oldest, Jordyn (adopted in February) is three months younger, and Mira (adopted in August) is four and a half months younger. These children have an incredible bond of love and care for one another. The family enjoys activities in the community, including classical music concerts and playing at parks around the county. KB has attended a ballet performance, has participated in a soccer clinic, and has taken swim lessons. The family is surrounded by love from their neighbors and the Roots of Life Lutheran Church community, which they are an active part of.

Now nearly three and a half years old, KB is thriving! It didn’t take long for him to graduate from physical therapy and occupational therapy. He is incredibly bright. Age at 2, he knew all his letters. His preschool teachers report that he excels in all areas. His passions are classical music (most notably the French horn), reading, riding his strider bike, playing with toy construction equipment, watching the real machines in action, and helping others. KB is sensitive, kind, affectionate, and silly. He is curious and is on the cusp of learning to read.

Because the laws in Indiana are bio-parent centered, DCS is still pushing for KB to be reunified with his birth mother. This is concerning due to the repeated extended periods of no contact between his birth mother and him. Nearly his whole life has been with the Sweets and to upset what he knows to be his family will likely be traumatizing for him. The Sweets are in favor of maintaining a relationship with his birth family, but they are fighting to adopt him so he can be a permanent member of their family.

Foster Mom Kimberly Sweet is a teacher with Noblesville Schools and Foster Mom Meghan Sweet is a stay-at-home mom. A contested adoption has been filed, meaning the Sweets are having the case presented to a judge and petitioning that adoption be granted. The date of the trial is set for December 28, 2022. This is a very costly endeavor, though. Their lawyer has estimated that legal fees may be $20,000-30,000. The Sweets are humbly looking for some assistance with these legal fees. All money raised will go to those expenses. They thank you sincerely, in advance, for considering helping them in their quest to make KB an official Sweet and complete their family.