In Their Own Words: Adoptions team member shares story of finalizing her first forever family

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Destiny Saffell is all about building forever families. An adoptions assessor who has been on the FCCS Adoptions team since 2019, Destiny celebrated her very first adoption finalization recently - an emotional day she will never forget. 

During November’s National Adoption Month recognition, Team FCCS celebrates the love, support, safety, and sense of belonging for a child who finds a “forever family” and we honor the work of our dedicated adoptions caseworkers who strive to create these lasting family connections. 

Destiny was able to help two sisters, ages 11 and 13, stay connected to their beloved siblings and join their longtime foster family permanently back in July. 

“To see the kids’ faces and know that I was there for every step of it as a caseworker, it was very exciting,” she shared. “This is their forever home, and to be a part of that is amazing.” 

“One thing I will always remember,” Saffell adds, “is that as the family left the courtroom, the parents told them ‘You have our last names now. You are officially part of the family.’ To see them happy and hugging their siblings is the best memory I could ever have.”

CLICK TO HEAR DESTINY'S STORY IN HER OWN WORDS

A Columbus native who earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Ohio State University, Destiny relishes the opportunity to be in the adoptions department after initially working with FCCS intake and investigations teams. As a passionate advocate for permanency, she loves that her job is about helping children leave foster care behind and join their forever families, ones that are “able to meet them where they’re at and ensure they are able to find permanency,” she says.

Whether it’s going on a family vacation, walking to school with classmates, or heading to a sleepover at a friend’s house, these are the little joys of a typical, carefree childhood that Destiny hopes for all children who come into our agency’s care.  She sees it as the chance to experience childhood as it was meant to be. 

“You don’t have workers coming out to your home. You don’t need permission from an agency to go visit with your friends. You’re out of the foster care system. You’re officially a typical child.”

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