At age 9, Taylor Trent had to grow up fast.
She and her two siblings were placed in foster care without knowing what would happen next. Taylor had been thrusted into a new life that wasn’t familiar or comfortable. “The hardest part about being in the foster care system was being separated from my siblings and being forced to become an adult at such a young age,” she says.
Taylor lived in 15 different homes, and after an unsuccessful adoption, she had no interest in being adopted again. Then, she met the woman who would change her life: Lyndsey Taylor planned on only being a foster parent, but the connection she developed with Taylor blossomed into a special relationship – one reflective of a mother and daughter.
Parenting Solo
Unmarried at the time, Lyndsey dove into a life-changing experience as a foster and single parent. “It was very interesting when I became certified and then saw my daughter’s profile. Her profile came across as this unnamed 15-year-old, and when I read it, I thought to myself: ‘Wow, this kid is going to make it in life. She just needs an environment that supports her and where she feels loved and safe,” she says.
When Lyndsey contacted St. Joe’s about Taylor, she admits having some trepidation. “I was scared to death…I was most fearful of getting a 15-year-old version of me,” she says with a laugh. But after they met, they became inseparable.
The Making of a Family
Taylor and Lyndsey knew they had developed a strong mother and daughter bond – and they weren’t the only ones who saw it. “She [Taylor] had been with me for about a year, and her case worker said to me: ‘I know that Taylor said she doesn’t want to be adopted, and you said you don’t want to adopt. I don’t want to pressure you, but I watch you two, and I just see this connection. Would you ever consider adopting her, and I said, I would adopt her in a heartbeat, it is just not something I would ever want to push on her and so then she talked to Taylor and Taylor said the same thing,’” she says.
Later, she adopted Taylor and says she gave her a lesson in self-improvement. “I admire her for her ability to be patient with me and give me grace. She taught me how to be more intentional,” she says. For Taylor, having Lyndsey as a parent has taught her about discipline and the value of altruism. The 20-year-old is a junior majoring in social work at Murray State University. She is also advocating for other kids who are in the foster care system. On May 25, 2022, she helped pass Senate Bill 8, which allows foster kids to maintain contact with their siblings. “This new bill is one step closer to giving siblings normalcy and preventing more trauma in the future,” Taylor says.
Our St. Joe’s kids need loving people who are willing to be foster care parents or respite providers. Will you be the one who makes a difference? Contact Lisa Barber-Atwell (alicab@sjkids.org) for more details.
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