The Picnic (Adoption Documentary) | Real Stories

I like what I would like to have a mom and a dad I would like kids other kids in the house and if they were with the church every year South Mississippi holds an adoption picnic where prospective parents meet children who need families I could search from now to the ever find you I want to family be there to look upon whenever I'm graduating have somebody patch on back and say how proud they are you know and that's nine daughter you know stuff like that someone to give my love I'm really optimistic they're supposed to be at least I don't know how many children that are free for adoption are going to be there fifty or more of two hundred maybe fifty two hundred so I'm really optimistic that we're gonna find some child there someone to give my love to Mississippi has thousands of children in care at any one time over 300 are up for adoption most of them school-age in teenagers the problem is getting families to take on older and often damaged children south Mississippi has been holding state-run adoption picnics for five years in a bold initiative to get potential parents to meet these children it's the brainchild of adoption specialist Sylvia sessions to recruit families who are willing and able to take on older children our children are all going to have problems they're going to go through a lot of pressure and we want to have families who've already dealt with some type of crisis or some problem issues in their marriages and have survived this because if they come in and they say you know we just always had this sweet little happy marriage and we've never had any problems and we agree on everything then I say oh you don't need one of my child children because your life is never going to be the same again most of the children that are at the picnic will be school age or older Sylvia tries to attract as many potential parents as possible to the picnic anyone thinking of adopting is invited they'll still undergo rigorous checks and committee approval to actually adopt a child but the picnic draws them in and I know we're going to have around 50 or 55 children and really this is going to be the biggest and the best picnic we've ever had think we're going to we're having a lot of children that are being freed for adoption and I think there's a lot of you that probably will find kids there that you are interested in I can take a picture and the write-up of a child and show a family and they can read the problems that this child's had and the experiences that they've been through and they may say no I can't take this child and then they can come to the picnic and they see the child and interact with it just puts a whole different light on it and people that I never would even think about taking certain kids because of all the problems they have we have families that decide these are our kids picture I wanna toss around a little bit I'm in love and I just put y'all again and I just want to toss this picture and let somebody else teach them something that's coming to this picnic he is if somebody else don't take you mom - ha ha ha this is one to eat we really got any kids but I'm in love with this British I'm on here yeah what sometimes my name is Geoffrey he just got ready for adoption he has just took my heart just grab it and this morning I don't know I still on the hi didn't bring him home business being horrible he is about who's getting it but somebody's better start picking him out I'm have to take a sample take him Jeffrey is 7 years old he's lived in 11 different foster homes in shelters since he was 4 he's had severe behavioral problems but at the picnic no one will know about his past that's me laughing - and why is Jeffrey happy in that picture because I like the home I'm living in that's a rocky what do you want to do it around here Jeffrey's social worker Kim will be taking him to the picnic many families would be scared off by his problems so the picnic could be his best chance of being adopted okay these are this part this one morning what a hearts mean you know how you said that you were happy right here because you like the family living in do you you understand that this is just temporary right and that we're looking for an adoptive home for you hmm can you tell me what what you know about an adoptive home will that be your permanent mom and dad forever tell me about it mom's working in the yard dad's in the house and that's me looking at stuff when you get in your adoptive home where you have to ever move yeah sometimes I have you why sometimes because I have to go to school right we've been trying to have a child of our own we've been married for ten years it's been over six years ago and we've just really looked forward to the time fishing hunting well and girl things shopping so we're just really excited about getting children on home baseball football school hunting fishing I don't know there's a whole world about that I mean there's endless things to do we got ten years to catch up on that way now we can deal with that destruction of property that'll be a for Philip and Paulette Hutton have been taking parenting classes for two months in preparation for adopting a child smearing or eating feces we both have motor grinds yeah a big fire they're masturbation you'll be another hand member there I'm just really excited about the picnic picking out the the one God wants us to have that would be real hard but we're Christians and we we know God has got his hands on everything and you know but really us looking at every child it's going to be very difficult to say in our hearts no you're not the one or yes you are the one you know few families want to adopt teenagers so for 14 year old Lacey the picnic male for a chance to escape the system she spent the last five years in care all this is about four years of my life I've been able to keep everything with that I had with my mom is destroyed I have only a portion of baby pictures these are normally stuff that you go in any other house and a mother can pull out up her kids or scrapbooks or just silly little stuff on them I just I don't and I've managed to keep up with this so I've done pretty good um miss Mia like five or four I'm having my birthday party with my mother near me but as we got older I guess she figured well they're older now and I can go out and do what I want to do which she couldn't Raleigh and I mean she did like drugs and stuff in front of us and my mother really didn't know what was going on but I did and it tore me apart it all I did whenever I got pendant system I worried about my mom for three years and cried myself to sleep almost every night and whenever I finally seen her I told her that I wanted her rights terminated and that was the way I was gonna have it and I watched her sign the papers and I was I mean I was completely fine with it she mean she really wasn't but I'm sick of crying and worrying about her and I told her I said as long as you keep in contact I will bonus than the rest of my life worrying about you Lacey is now in a children's home but until a few months ago she was happy living with her divorced foster father then suddenly he decided she had to leave I've been with him for the last four years and then he decides well I'm being married I've had her I think I've done what I need to do things aren't working out and I think I need to start my own life and I think she needs mother and father so he sent me here and within two weeks I found out that I was losing the only time I hadn't had to be sent away from and it kind of hurt me real bad I really did out there I mean I was free I had a normal teenage life I was able to come and go as I please within a certain car fewer time I got to interact with friends go to football games go to family outings I didn't have to worry about asking the social worker or asking a house preneur having a house parent not near my side and then I came here and it was like I'm in this little big box trying to get out she's 14 and just a child told again a little me home Renee Powell and her brother Evan were adopted but not at a picnic now their parents Duane and Lynn want to find an older son to complete the family I bred Lord my soul to keep and Lord as I always say I'd done to be adopted you my wife LEM was a country music entertainer for four years she toured all over the United States and men and went to adoption picnic and told me about the kids she went to sing there I didn't go and I so we looked into that and the more we look all were the more interested we got yes there are too many children that wait for you to King I'm at Oh I'm very excited about the picnic I can't wait these things are so great I just love this adoption picnics and the the outcome of them you know that's what's really important the children that are seen there and I just touches people's hearts and you know they want to adopt them so it's gonna be neat it's really exciting but I this one's really special for us because we're looking for a child ourselves Lynne and Duane already know what behavioral problems older children can have adopting Evan and Renee was at first traumatic well when we first met him they called us mom and dad right off and you you're not gonna cry are you and I mean I brought a bouquet of flowers and gave to me and oh that was just I don't know I can't explain it it was wonderful and then then it really started yeah they were very well he got pretty upset about something I don't want him to know what it was about and through his little toy and garbage can and then he crawled up in the little playthings at McDonald's you know the little plate playground yeah and I think back you can crawl up in yeah and wouldn't come down I guess it was so overwhelming that first day well when we when we left him that day they went back to the foster home and we went to the motel and we sat down on the bed and then we just sat there and we couldn't say anything to each other it was just like our mouth where it was open like you know where can we buy some straitjacket yeah Evan can't wait to have a brother because his sister doesn't like to play ball with him a whole lot so he can't wait for that Renee um she's has mixed feelings right now Oh just don't want another brother he's already enough I won't film time actually he's already too much a one brother please I'd rather have another sister too bad would you shut up with all these two bags bla bla sand mortar Evers you're doing that you've got one what would you like him to be like would you like him to be a lot better than Evan twelve-year-old Chris was given away at birth and has lived in a succession of foster homes ever since he wants to find a permanent home he's been with his current foster mother Mary Cooley and her family for four years look at my caseworker gave me to feel out and like my name nickname my favorite colors and stuff and my birth name my my birthday and why I don't deal with my birth family and I wrote I don't know what I would like to know that answer to no how do you know about your birth um because you know sometimes mmm I know I had four brothers I haven't never met him but I'd like to see you and I [ __ ] told my mother but I don't want to so I to it up you know what she liked all I know is that she's white next time like wanna stay but my husband I'm gonna dump him over cuz we got four kids already do you died in my heart I know you don't understand why he got to go why the restaurant can stay he have to go I know he don't understand it and I'm gonna try my level best to explain that to him when I from that yeah well I can sit down and figure it out myself if you could choose to be spending the rest of your life living anyway what would it be probably here when can you stay here how has she said I'm into you about that not really but you're going to be the picnic tomorrow so what's gonna happen there maybe I'll find a family it's the morning of the adoption picnic hopes are high for both the children and their would-be parents Oh okay - I love Atlanta I do you no no no without working here I've been working here yeah go put your t-shirt on got to put it on there providing restrooms right in there watching every fan in truck and car coming in trying to see each tag where they're from scoping it out I was thinking about that on the way here this morning and I think the hardest things that'll be just meeting them initially I don't know what I'm going to say and I'm not sure I'm gonna say anything we'll see in a little bit are you excited Jeffery almost there what do you think you still nice people yeah yes it is you see all these cars this is everybody for your picnic we got a haircut it looks different oldest haircut I didn't recognize him I can't talk right now Oh calm down are you decided to be a big mess what are we gonna do it's gonna walk around and see what's out here I'm like I'm walk-in the back I thought I was scared shaky my husband wrote this song especially for this picnic hope you enjoy it her day begins like the one before then there's a knocking at the door it's miss Silvia with a smiling face it's come to talk about her case here's some folks for you to meet they want a child and they think you're neat tears fall as they help you walk it's clear she's gonna be their child there are so many children that God is sleepytime with family no one to hold inside its the stand that many people are completely unaware while Gus forgotten children pray for son to here I feel kind of awkward and you feel like you're on display a little bit you know you got you don't know what she should in or should do because you got all these people watching you and you're wearing this shirt that signals you out so I mean it kind of you're on the spot this is mark like brothers and sisters it's got it capelin and fell open a lot of Seaver they're around here somewhere Oh it was a little sign can't blame him though you know well in karst it was awkward and he was very very nervous and very shy and so were we but was all just opened up so it's been a lot better oh I'm sorry I'm watching him his band-aid fell off again he hurt his knee in the jump the thing out there Michael was really a little older a couple years older than what we're looking for but you know Michael is the one michael is where we met a boy here and Michael really neat he's 14 years old okay real nice it's really nice yeah you know you're a sweet kid st. someone home they're bad you want them to walk you to the car huh you want to ask No okay after four hours of the picnic lacy leaves like the other children she's no idea if she'll be adopted that decision is up to the parents and the adoption committee I don't know I couldn't sleep too well last night thinking about it oh I you know I want to meet other children too to be able to make a selection of the one that I think may fit into the family but you know it's so hard to even consider after you've met one boy and you see that you know he wants home it's kind of hard to you feel guilty I guess going home and thinking about it you know one thing that kind of struck me real hard was I we asked him did he like living in the country or in the city and he said anywhere you know just he didn't really care as long as he had a home you know and that was pretty sad I want us to a doctor but no I don't I come home about you shot oh you're right a brother like threads I forgot one yeah she kind of changed her mind though after yesterday I just changed my mind because I found out not all boys are brats how you think on the ground you're the ugliest thing I've ever seen birth Krissi's foster mother had gone with him to the picnic it had a profound effect on her yes they was it a pity I was just looking at all the kids lined it up and everybody's just looking at like a fresh piece of meat that that's what I was thinking I didn't want there it come to me that he was trying to find a family just like average so we've been having this long we just decided we just going to keep all the kids agree we all got together and we agree and we approached my husband he didn't give us no Elsa until he he had to go to work at 10:00 he didn't give us a certainty walking out the door he said caught a whiff off and tell her we're gonna dock Chris and he just left was like that we was just happy we stayed up all night long talking about it and Chris he was so excited now that I'm gonna be adopted I decided to change my name and I'm gonna change it to [ __ ] Rick Tyrone cool it's a waiting game now I know there's a chance we may not get him and but I hope it's more in our favor than not so we thought in the beginning we want to do you know but then after Saturday because he really we really connected but we still have that feeling of you know it's not final and I guess I've still got my guard up because you know there's a chance we might not get him but he's just gone haywire I don't know it just got kind of emotional on the way home I had a good cry on the way home I guess it's normal I like I prayed more yesterday today then I pray in a day ever in my life you know but I just know that it's up to God and who he's gonna give us what we need what we don't need chrome valve covers but when we get it done we're gonna paint it back like it was a silver anniversary model you know six weeks after the picnic the Powell's have a new member of the family but it's not Michael how your a car my car you got there lot of work on it was gonna be your car you can it if that would give Mike a good-looking car oh yeah we met James about a lot of nice changed his name to mark we met him a less than two weeks ago now and I shook his hand when we the first day we met him to leave and he hugged her you know and then he turned over to me said I wanna hug you tick and then he hugged me in the head no tears kind of came out and everything you know so that's really neat you know my first thought was through a weird they're funny I like them so we sat down and then I guess book I started looking I said hey I like this so huh yeah I am you didn't think I was weird oh yeah Oh believe that I'll just look at her at the picnic we heard that there were several families that were talking to Michael and maybe interested in him as we were but we just decided to wait until we could meet mark first before we made a decision and I see now that he is the better choice for this family here's the air conditioner things soever all they were that stupid seems like he's happy here and if we could make a towel I think this would be the exact thing we do I mean yeah he's perfect for us Tobin I've been waiting on Jeffrey's write-up his his evaluation and his life kind of why he was taken out of a home and and we finally did get that and I went from cutting weight to happy excited to utter shock evidently he's seen a lot of violent things now who done them I can't say because the writer really doesn't say specifically but it says that he had an abusive past the mental neglect the the physical abuse the it was just very overwhelming for me and i in fact thought at one point I didn't know if I could handle this I've went so far as to think I didn't know if I could do the adoption thing at all I don't think reading her while reading it I ever changed my mind I don't think that ever slipped into my mind at all Sylvia and I talked she said okay we are I'm gonna go ahead and present it to the committee you know I know that you're in shock I know that this has been a scare you know but but I think you can do it you know and she also said I think Jeffrey is a survivor I still think that even after reading you know what I've read today even though I've already read it she said reading it new is shocking to me even I guess Sylvie wanted to make sure that we wasn't gonna buy gout and there was no way not after meeting him she called back and she said well and and she didn't seem all that excited about it and I thought she's gonna say the committee did not approve this but she said well the committee did approve you the votes were five to three in your favor and I just said wow I think I don't know if she expected me to holler or our laugh or cry or what but she she did tell me that if she was in my shoes she'd be scared too sure I'm terrified I'm walking into a situation where a young run little fellers had a terrible past and and we're just gonna try to give him a way out of it so I said we're gonna do Jeffrey how are you doing back there are you nervous no outside Kim and Jeffrey are on their way to see Silvia who'll supervise his adoption placement later he'll meet Phillip and Paulette and go with them to his new home why don't we look at this work and see what you BAE can we do that all right look here what I've got dear Jeffrey we are very happy to have you in our our that's a big word from Emily family this is a full look hook of pictures good that's a big word we love you my mommy and daddy daddy how about that what you think that it's a letter from mom you knew mom and dad they sent you this picture to kind of see what they gonna look like you in a hurry turn their beige your new actress is Hey look fill up oh let's call it Jeffrey oh hi what you think about that you think you can go by Jeffrey Hut now change your laughing all right and that's your new phone no and this is for you to keep Oh we had stuck it in the ketchup I'm glad I hate breakfast Wow no hmm it's my stomach is in knots you're not scared just a little bit it's okay it's okay to be scared you know when you anytime that you're gonna be moving in and having a new mom and dad it's got to be scary how do you Jeffrey how are you okay good do you remember us are you doing my anything okay huh oh yeah how are you the dishes say you're come sit right here talking about it whoa did you like your book way major yeah and then we went out on the playground it was bad to burn them it's hot out there too hot waiting huh so what you've been doing not much what you've been doing since the picnic Jeffrey oh wow we have something for you we left it Wow did you know I like plants you did is this your fingerprints the hell will you need this fine you put the medication Bible School oh right I could go nice thank you doing um do you wanted to go get your gift card yeah that was really nice wait you ready to go yeah yeah whatever he's been through he had to let it out I don't think they're gonna see it right away he may not you know never know don't he's he's been looking forward to this and if he feels a sense of security stable dissing I'm not ever gonna believe you know miss Kim's gonna act me up anymore and take me where you know somewhere else that takes a lot of burden off my child what did you think when you first met us at the picnic was she scared oh he was did you like this right off well we're glad okay and I'll call you okay tomorrow the next let's see how everything's doing all right you can tell me gamba there's Kim don't miss Kim is you promise your collar we deserve this they're gonna do mr. Phil miss let's check on you and see how you're doing okay you guys have a safe trip okay I could search from now did he ever find another you not so glad because I know your mind some on the goomar look well the first night we got home it was very very nice we got in and first thing you wanted to do was his room did you sleepy huh woo hi didn't see your room we got to get some air on here see all that look at this you can get down here and look at everything if you want to and there's a bunch of stuff up there that is a big one in at first I thought he wasn't real excited but then he looked around little and found what was there and he's very excited but mostly just hugged on men fella mostly and we played with him plus it was good there's your new kidney different hey girl did you miss this I think the best moment for me was I don't know if I felt he's been hugging on Phillip the whole time but my favorite moment was we were at McDonald's and um and I was ordering and Geoffrey and dad was standing back watching me order and I think it hit him all of a sudden that he really does have a family and he looked at Philip and said dad we're a family aren't we and Phyllis said yes we are I never imagined how a young and can just keep your attention like that but it's it's great it's great he's all over me all the time and we get on her walkie-talkies and I'll be out here and have it in my pocket he says I need a hug I'll take off it's been really good we've seen just a tad bit of Jeffrey's little anger problems not not really much he's been a real fun kid to be with and been real good since he's been here Philip he's not worried about that a bit you know we'll just cross that when we get there I wish I could forget it like that and cross that when we get there but Philip he's on cloud nine yeah he is and I am but I'm worried at the same time I don't have any doubts her any Idol knows her you know me and I'm really excited about Qi that's gonna get back my won't let you see this when I get through lacy has had a surprise a family saw her at the picnic and although they didn't talk to her they want to adopt her Sylvia is making the video for them this is her name then Tommy Cole pepper she's 36 and he's 37 they live on a farm so they have goats and um they live in a double-wide trailer it's really nice I'm really excited about it and I'm really looking forward to going and living with him I mean this is what I wanted this these will be my new parent they look really carrying a nice and they're like a gift to me in a way yeah they they picked me out of a whole bunch other kids they picked me I talked to several people that had met Lacey and since she was just spoil fantastic a good Christian girl and that made a difference you know then I mean I've talked about it just decided here I feel real comfortable I'm not happy um I met a lot of people since I've been here and it's been a lot of fun I mean yeah it seems like no I mean it's different you know I different but it's nice she called me and she fixed her room you know she's helped Tommy at the barn with the cattle um she said she looks like she's having no problem far as adjusting at all um I think the country life will be good for Lacey I like it the surroundings are different from where I used to be the atmosphere the life that I live now a lot of different enough I like it they're all just pets of hers the probably all live here till they die I'm gonna like no and I know you're really happy and what happened that I used to be Jeffrey has from one major temper tantrum I was here and it just like too scared me to death I don't know what happened he just kind of went beserk kind of crazy he went to his room and slammed the door everybody jerked the fan out the ceiling you're about cleared his room at first I was crying you know what am I gonna do I was trying to call people and I couldn't get no one on the phone so I said I guess it's just meant for me to take care of this myself and I told him out I'm not taking it off of you I'm the grown-up you're the child that's the way it is you will have to live with it raising children is a lot different than I had in my mind you know it's not I'm not disappointed but you know when you don't have children you're thinking about we're going to do this you know we're going to do that and it's going to be wonderful and which it has been wonderful but you know in everyday life there's everyday things that come up that aren't always so wonderful you know I could search from now to the in ever find another you not so glad because I know your mind

Channel: Real Stories

Views: 862,207

Rating: 4.7294388 out of 5

Keywords: adoption, BBC Three documentary, Extraordinary people, childhood, PBS, Amazing Documentaries, Real Stories, ITV, BBC, parenting, Sky, Full length Documentaries, orphans, Amazing Stories, Topic, Full Documentary, Documentary, Documentary Movies - Topic, Channel 5, Channel 4, TV Shows - Topic, BBC 3, parents, Movies, Documentaries, children, adoption documentary, foster care documentary, adoption story, adopting a child, orphanage documentary, poor kids, foster parents, adopted children

Id: ZfHVZe0mQIc

Length: 50min 8sec (3008 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 15 2016

Reddit Comments

[u/holowolf83]

im adopted but doesnt mean thats where it ends. my adoptive mother was abusive and at 15 kicked me out for not being because in her own words i wasnt who she wanted . people who adopt many of them want a baby not a child and the older the child is the harder it is to place. i never touched drugs , drank , smoked no promiscuous behaviour and placing me in foster care was a nightmare for my social worker who cried alot when she dealt with my fanily. i was a good student albeit too quiet loved books and i rarely if ever complained. its not easy.

[u/pineapplephilosophy]

That girl at the end was lying! Her face didn’t match her words one bit.

[u/SmellySkaterSocks]

This was a good one but a weird one.

The way they talk about adoption, and the heavy weight of reality to these children really took me a back.

This little kid, just playing with toys, being decreed by a faceless system his fate... and he didn't even know or care. The hope in that boy's eyes seeing all the people at the picnic, hoping to find a mother and father to teach him the most basic mamalian comforts of love, and hugs and belonging. I will never look at anything with such pure eagerness.

Sad watching this right before Christmas too...

[u/coachvicbaby]

I'm kind of turned off when i see the "REAL STORIES" tag.

[u/Cantholditdown]

Oh man this is awkward, but I don't know a better solution. Glad people devote their lives to this.