About the Sugarman-Naul Family
Charissa works in higher education for a State University, and Stacie is an assistant principal at a high school in queens. Charissa has two biological children Emily (25) and Caleb(23). When Emily went away to College and Caleb joined the USMC, Charissa, and Stacie, due to an “empty nest,” decided to adopt from the foster system and contacted You Gotta Believe. That’s when they met Mary, who was teaching the MAPP classes.
In 2017 they met Michele, who was 12, and a year later, they adopted her. In 2018 Jenna, who was nine at the time, moved in and was adopted a year later.
When Stacie had heard about an older teen, Jay, who was at risk of aging out of foster care in Rhode Island, contacted You Gotta Believe for help moving forward with placement. Unfortunately, it was a difficult placement due to Covid. However, You Gotta Believe and Mary were highly patient and advocated to move forward as quickly as possible. So Jay moved in the Fall of 2020. A year later, on Oct. 18th, 2021, Jay was adopted two weeks before her 21st birthday.
Now, Emily is a research assistant at Columbia University in NYC, Caleb is a Sergeant in the USMC, Michele is 17 and a Junior in high school. She is in honors classes and recently got her driver’s license. Jenna is 12 and is in 7th grade. She is doing very well at school and plans to play softball in the spring. Jay is in her 3rd semester of College and is taking driving lessons.
Big kids need family too!
More than 25% of children waiting for adoption right now are between the ages of 13 and 17.
When people think about adoption, they often think about babies, but there are thousands of older kids, teenagers, and young adults in foster care who are also waiting for families.
This year alone, more than 20,000 young people will leave the foster care system without a family.
Jenna's Moms, Charissa & Stacie, talk about making adoption day special!
Watch their family story on the TODAY show!
Jenna gets her moms and a sister, Michele! Watch as Michele talks about how happy she is to welcome Jenna to the family.
More on this amazing family on the TODAY Show!
It is our mission to connect older kids in foster care to forever families!
There are lots of ways to get involved.
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SAVE THE DATE
Voices For The Voiceless: Stars For Foster Kids
Sirius XM Radio Host Seth Rudetsky (Disaster!) and James Wesley (Unbroken Circle)
6
Feb. 2020
Press & Media
To interview the Sugarman family or anyone else at You Gotta Believe, please contact: Charly Rok at charrok@gmail.com, Mobile: 917 605 1337