Florida teen adopted out of foster care hours before 18th birthday

One Florida teen in foster care received a birthday present he’ll never forget last week – a new family.

Roman Nehemiah Balassaitis was adopted by Renee and Brad Balassaitis of Jacksonville — just hours before his 18th birthday.

Just hours before turning 18, Clay County teen's adoption is finalized

“I was sweating bad. My heart was beating. I was very happy,” Roman said after his adoption was official. “It means I have someone to go to. It means if I need someone to talk to, I have people to talk to now.”

Roman is now the seventh child Renee and Brad have adopted out of foster care, though they have fostered around 20 children over the years. They told First Coast News that though they started the adoption paperwork months ago, it was a close call getting things finalized before Roman turned 18.

“Today was a race to the finish line for Roman a day before he turns 18. And once he turns 18, there’s no adoption through the state as a minor. We’d have to go about it a whole different way,” Renee said. “And so, a lot of people work really hard at the end to get it all done in the nick of time.”

Going forward, having adoptive parents means that Roman will have a family to go home to and support him – something he’s lacked nearly his whole life.

“I think on paperwork it showed he has been in 19 different places over the past several years. So, it’s not been an easy life for him,” Brad explained. “I love that… we’ll have the opportunity to be a part of his life going forward, that he doesn’t have to worry about bouncing around anymore, he knows that we’re here for him.”

Each year, roughly 20,000 children age out of the foster care system without a family to guide them or a place to call home. These young adults face a number of dangers, including an increase in the chances of homelessness, unemployment, substance abuse, criminal activity, and more – issues that pose much less of a risk to Roman now that he has a family. 

“He knows that on holidays going forward, he’ll have a home here,” added Brad. “He’ll be here for Thanksgiving and Christmas and even when the time comes that he moves out. That was really our goal, to kind of give him that stability so he’s got that base to launch from.”

Roman was all smiles as his adoption was declared official.  “Thank God! I want to say, ‘Thank God, it happened!’”