CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

A joyous holiday for Georgetown foster family, baby boy

Austin American-Statesman - 12/23/2019

At the top of nearly every foster child's Christmas wish list is finding a forever family. This week, a special baby in Williamson County was given just that.

Since being 4 days old, the baby boy has been living with Mary and Michael Rockett and their 8-year-old son, Cruz Valentine, as a foster child. Two days before Christmas, he went home with them as their son.

"This is absolutely the greatest gift. We are finally going to get to finalize becoming a family," said foster father Michael Rockett, who is also a Georgetown native. "And with it being so close to Christmastime, it's such an amazing gift. Our family has been truly blessed."

In June, Michael Rockett and his wife, Mary, received a phone call that a 4-day-old baby was in need of a foster home, to which they answered by welcoming the baby into their home. State law requires a child 3 years and younger to be fostered at least 6 months before adoption eligibility, unless through private adoption. With the option of adopting their foster baby before Christmas -- just shy of the 6-month minimum -- the Rocketts immediately agreed to move forward.

"It's something we'd always hoped for," Mary Rockett said. "We've always wanted to foster with the hope of adoption, but now that it's happening, and just before Christmas, we still can't believe it."

"The Christmas season is about a baby. A miracle baby," remarked

425th Judicial District Court Judge Betsy Lambeth, who approved the early adoption and will perform the adoption ceremony for the family, remarked that the Christmas season is about "a baby, a miracle baby."

"And we have our own miracle baby in Williamson County," she said.

Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell said the county is full of giving and compassionate people like the Rocketts.

"This family is giving the ultimate gift this Christmas season by becoming parents to a child in need. That is what Christmas is all about," he said.

This foster baby will be given the family name of Ruger Rex Rockett, after Michael Rockett's father.

"Fostering to adopt is a long road with a lot of commitment, but it is totally worth it," Mary Rockett.

The Williamson County communications department contributed this story. Find more on the county at wilco.org.

___

(c)2019 Austin American-Statesman, Texas

Visit Austin American-Statesman, Texas at www.statesman.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.