Loving Florida Foster Mother Adopts Fourth Child: ‘Always Be Willing to Give out of Your Heart’

An extraordinary Florida woman who has been fostering and adopting children for several years was blessed to see her family grow even bigger this past week.

Shakira Kellogg, a single mother from West Palm Beach, finalized the adoption of her fourth child, Logan, who had been living with her since last year, West Palm Beach CBS affiliate WPEC reported.

Kellogg told the outlet that she used to work in a corporate job while simultaneously taking on the enormous task of fostering children. However, she realized she needed to be more “hands-on” in order to put more time and effort into loving her foster children.

After she quit her job and started her own successful business, Kellogg’s family grew. First, she adopted Maleak, then Matthew, then Jackson, with Logan being number four.

The loving mother told WPEC she decided to start adopting when she realized her foster children would have to switch homes and possibly not be in a stable environment.

“I don’t know, when you foster a child something about keeping them safe and making sure that they know that they’re loved and have a home,” Kellogg said. “Just making sure that they knew that we were a family, that we had this home, that you know, we were together.”

Kellogg’s decision to adopt four foster children comes at a time when there is a great need for foster children to be adopted in the United States.

There are currently 107,918 foster children eligible for adoption in the United States, while there are over 400,000 children in foster care, according to the Adoption Network. “The average age of a waiting child is 7.7 years old and 29% of them will spend at least three years in foster care,” per the network.

When Kellogg was asked if she had any advice for people considering adopting, she noted it is a loving and worthwhile experience.

“So, when you foster there’s not always a chance of adoption, but when you foster that piece of your heart that you give to that child lives with him forever. Don’t be scared to do it, always be willing to give out of your heart because it will last a lifetime within that child,” she said.

Kellogg is among many loving parents across the nation who have decided to adopt foster children. In November, Breitbart News highlighted a Virginia couple that has fostered over 30 children, adopted six, and is looking to make their family even larger.

You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.