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THE MAARSCHALKS began training
with the DSS, taking classes with other
families who wanted to make a difference
and foster children in need of homes. After
completing the course, filling out the last of the paper-work,
and taking the time to prepare for a new addition
to the family, Kylee got a phone call that there was a
pair of siblings, Myles, a 4-year-old boy, and Seyla, a
2-year-old girl, in need of respite care for about a month.
Respite care allows a family to temporarily take another
family’s foster children, giving the original family a
break so they can get away for a bit.
‘‘I called my husband to ask him what he thought and
without hesitation, he said, ‘Let’s do it,’” Kylee says.
Two days later, the couple met their new foster chil-dren.
The kids got in the car and while Myles appeared
excited for this change, Seyla was a bit skeptical.
“I’m pretty certain that we had about seven or eight
different activities planned for that day and probably
made it through all of the activities in about 45 minutes,”
Corey says.
Corey and Kylee fostered the children for months,
taking them to doctor appointments, weekly family
visits, therapist and social worker meetings, and more.
The couple powered through these trying times in an
attempt to keep consistency in a difficult situation.
‘‘I remember one night, Corey and I went out to see
the movie “Instant Family” and that movie is really so
accurate,” Kylee says. “A woman sitting next to us in the
theater said to me, ‘My goodness! How in the world do
you handle all that?’ and I said, ‘A whole lot of prayer.’”
The couple were able to utilize the amazing tools the
community has to offer, such as the Foster Pantry and
the North Carolina Guardian ad Litem, which equip
families and children with essential resources and advo-cate
for their best interests.
“We needed to speak the language of foster care and
adoption with people who understood those same terms,”
Kylee says. “So, going to support groups and joining
Facebook groups really helped us during that time.”
The primary plan for Seyla and Myles was reunifica-tion
with their biological family, but because they had
already been in the system for over nine months the
case shifted to adoption. In May 2019, the Maarschalks
attended a termination of parental rights hearing.
“About halfway through that hearing, our kids’
biological parents decided to make the brave choice to
relinquish their rights to us,” Kylee says. “We both still
grieve for them in having to make that decision.”
The Maarschalks enjoy some family time at the Channel
Walk community beach on Lees Cut.
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