Saline County family adopts three siblings, sheds light on ‘important need’ in foster care

SALINE COUNTY, Ark. – One family is hoping to shine a light on the need to foster and adopt, after opening their own home to kids in need and expanding their family.

According to reports by the Arkansas Department of Human Services, more than 3,000 children are in the foster care system.

Corey and Jenny Key, who live in Saline County with their 16-year-old son Caden Key, said they decided to foster in 2021.

“We felt that calling on our heart to give it a shot,” Key said. “January 2022 is when we got the boys and Sara we got in June of 2022.”

Six-year-old Brayden, 16-year-old Preston and 17-year-old Sara are all siblings and were reunited when they went to live with the Keys.

“Every kid deserves to be loved and it breaks my heart to see kids in foster care,” Key said.

They say when the siblings’ reunification failed, the Keys received help from the nonprofit Second Chance Youth Ranch to get the kids back, though this time it was not to foster, but rather to adopt.

Rachel Hubbard, the director of the nonprofit, said it partners with DHS to help provide kids in the foster care system with foster families and potential forever homes.

“Each of those children deserve a loving home with a family,” Hubbard said, adding, “We get about 10 referrals for children who need a home every day and we have to turn them away because we don’t have enough fosters.”

The Keys say the adoption was finalized this year and it meant the world to all three siblings.

“Our lives have been blessed throughout this whole process,” Sara said. “Being with them made me feel a lot safer than where was before.”

“It’s opened a lot of opportunities for me and made me feel like I had an actual family,” Preston said.

As for their new brother, Caden, he was also thankful.

“When we got them it was like built-in best friends and now they’re brothers and sisters plus best friends,” he said.

With their family expanded, they hope other families will feel inspired to help the many other kids in the foster care system.

“Do the best you can and let them know they’re loved and you will be there to support them,” Key said.

Those interested in fostering or adopting in central Arkansas can go to the Arkansas Department of Human Services or Second Chance Youth Ranch .

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