Fifth graders surprise classmate at his adoption ceremony

An 11-year-old boy was adopted from foster care last week after two years of living with his foster family. A group of his fifth-grade classmates surprised him when they showed up at the courthouse dressed in Western gear.

Key Takeaways:

• An 11-year-old boy was adopted by his foster parents after living with them for two years.

• Dozens of fifth graders attended the adoption of their classmate on Friday in Texas.

• An adoption specialist said he is "thriving in his home” and is “very bonded with the family.”

The Details:

On Friday, 11-year-old Kaine Coles was adopted by Vandria and Tyrone Johnson, with whom he had been living as a foster child for two years. In addition to approving the adoption, Judge Robert Wilson also approved the boy's request to change his name to Alexander Kaine Johnson.

“I know you guys are ready,” the judge said. “You know what you signed up for and you built this family and are obviously providing a beautiful, thriving environment for this young man… It’s been quite a journey. I can even look at the docket and see what the appeal and all the stuff that you guys had to go through, but you forged ahead. You didn’t give up, and that speaks volumes about how committed you are to building this family and having this young man in your house.”

An adoption specialist with 4 Kids 4 Family told the court that Alexander Kaine is “thriving in his home” and “very bonded with the family.”

To show support for Alexander Kaine, teachers and the principal of Bell Elementary School brought about 45 of his classmates to the courthouse to celebrate the adoption with him. The family and the students wore Western clothing.

"I really appreciate all they do for me," the boy said. "All my friends were with me and just very emotional with me... I thank them for being my friends."

Tyrone Johnson added, "We're glad to have him in our family."

He also noted that Alexander Kaine "has grown a whole lot since the first time we got him, and he's matured a whole lot, and I'm glad, I'm proud of him."

His wife, Vandria, said, “Kaine is a joy to have around everywhere he goes. He is kind, helpful and most spiritual. He is a member of Shiloh Road Church of Christ, where he serves communion every Sunday, and he is a greeter. He loves to help anyway he can. He especially likes to wear his suits.”

Jessica Helmeczi, a neighbor of the Johnsons whose son Jeremiah is Alexander Kaine's best friend, said, "Anytime anybody gets adopted, it's just a beautiful example of just God's love for us, taking us and just giving us a home."

In addition to the students, about 100 family members and friends attended the adoption.

Why It Matters:

The goal of foster care is reunification of the biological family; however, that is not always possible. Only when parental rights are terminated are children allowed to be legally adopted by another family. Yet many children age out of the system before that happens.

According to a recent report from the U.S. Administration for Children and Families, adoptions through the foster care program have been declining and have reached their lowest level since 1999. In fiscal year 2024, 46,935 children were adopted from foster care. That represents a decrease of over six percent (6%) from 2023, and a 26% decrease since 2019. There are 328,947 children in foster care in the U.S., and in 2024, 46,935 of those who were available for adoption were adopted, while 34,817 children who were available for adoption were not.