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Woman Who Grew Up in Foster Care Adopts 6 Boys
At the age of 12, Jessica Benzakein of Milwaukee became a ward of the state. Her mother terminated her parental rights, leaving Jessica in foster care until she aged out. Now, she is providing the loving, permanent home she never had. On January 3, Jessica adopted six boys ages 4-18, according to TODAY.
In Wisconsin, there are more than 7,000 youth in foster care, and Jessica has been making a difference for years as a foster parent. Specifically, she wants to help older sibling sets, as she and her brother were separated when their mother gave them up. Her adopted sons (two sets of brothers) are happy to be together, but she is even happier to have them.
Jessica, who also has two biological children, now has a home with a basketball hoop in the living room. The family has frequent dance parties, and every Friday night they order Papa John’s pizza and watch a movie.
“We have fun here. It’s total chaos in a good way,” she said. “They have a safe place where they can screw up and make mistakes and laugh and joke and poke fun of each other.”
Jessica has had the children since 2015 and says nothing has changed except that they are now a real family.