NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n\n- \n\n
Just a month into their marriage, Claire DeLay and her husband, Eric, hosted a pumpkin-painting night in their driveway for neighbors<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Among the crowd was a 2\u00bd-year-old boy who had come with his foster parents<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
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Not long after, the boy’s foster parents asked if Claire and Eric could watch him on weekends<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Claire DeLay and her husband, Eric, married in September 2021 and moved into their first home just two weeks later. Eric, a firefighter, worked shifts every third day, while Claire ran her own concrete coatings business with a flexible schedule. Though they didn\u2019t yet have children, both shared a deep desire to foster and adopt one day.<\/p>\n
That dream came true much sooner than expected. Just a month into their marriage, the couple hosted a pumpkin-painting night in their driveway for neighbors. Among the crowd was a 2\u00bd-year-old boy nicknamed \u201cJay,\u201d who had come with his foster parents.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs soon as he got out of the car, he ran straight into my husband\u2019s arms,\u201d Claire, 29, recalls to PEOPLE. \u201cAnd for the rest of the night, he didn\u2019t want to be with anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\nKendall B Photography<\/p>\n
JT DeLay on a swing<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The boy\u2019s biological mother, who was also there, struck up a connection with the DeLays that same evening. Not long after, his foster parents asked if Claire and Eric could watch him on weekends. Though they weren\u2019t licensed foster parents, families in their Oklahoma community often relied on \u201cinformal care,\u201d<\/a> a system that allowed children to stay with trusted adults without state certification.<\/p>\nWhat started as weekend visits quickly grew into something more. By early 2022, both his foster parents and biological mother told the couple he would likely become adoptable \u2014 and asked if they would consider giving him a permanent home.<\/p>\n
For Claire, the decision felt like fate. \u201cI always knew adoption would be part of our story \u2014 even before we got married,\u201d she says. \u201cWe just didn\u2019t realize it would happen so quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n
That May, the little boy officially moved in. Just over a year later, in September 2023 \u2014 while Claire was pregnant with the couple\u2019s biological daughter \u2014 his adoption was finalized.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur family threw us a big kid shower instead of a baby shower, so everyone could come meet him,\u201d Claire recalls. \u201cWhen we finalized the adoption, we had another huge party. I don\u2019t know if he fully understood what was happening, but he definitely felt celebrated.\u201d<\/p>\n
Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for\u00a0PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a>\u00a0to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n![\"Kendall](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/voF7MJ259lAT.m2j5uRBKQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTY0MDtoPTk2MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/ac1f6a88c9a253a2b41f89470c1d0845\"\/)
<\/div>\n\nKendall B Photography<\/p>\n
Claire and Eric DeLay with their so, JT<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The couple also made a thoughtful decision about his name. Wanting to honor his roots while giving him a fresh start, they kept \u201cJay\u201d from his biological name and renamed him Jaden Teddy \u2014 JT for short.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we first met him, he couldn\u2019t even say his name,\u201d Claire explains. \u201cI asked, \u2018Can you say JT?\u2019 and he said, \u2018Chai Tea.\u2019 So we still call him that sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
With a new name and a new home, JT began a new chapter \u2014 though it wasn\u2019t without challenges. When he first joined the DeLays, he was just over 3 years old and developmentally delayed. \u201cHe was nonverbal, had no fine motor skills, couldn\u2019t color, didn\u2019t know his letters, colors, or animal sounds,\u201d Claire says.<\/p>\n
Determined to help him thrive, Claire and Eric enrolled him in speech therapy four times a week with three different pathologists. Slowly but surely, his progress began to shine through.<\/p>\n
Now, at 6, JT is flourishing. \u201cHe reads on grade level, talks nonstop and just played his first flag football game where he scored five touchdowns,\u201d Claire beams.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause we see him every day, we don\u2019t always notice it. But when friends or family see him once a year, they\u2019re amazed,\u201d she adds. \u201cWe\u2019re just so proud of how hard he\u2019s worked. He\u2019s the sweetest boy, such a great big brother, and we honestly can\u2019t imagine our family without him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n![\"Kendall](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/.Vp9.pWDrBTymX7pER2roQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTY0MDtoPTk2MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/b73c52a1c9da875b6c15d14f895d9b87\"\/)
<\/div>\n\nKendall B Photography<\/p>\n
JT DeLay with his sister<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
As their son grew, so did Claire\u2019s awareness of the broader issues around foster care. \u201cWhen we first started fostering, people would ask, \u2018Where did he come from?\u2019 \u2014 as if he had to be from another country,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s when I realized how little people knew about foster care here in the U.S., and how many children are still waiting for homes.\u201d<\/p>\n
That realization inspired Claire to begin sharing their story on TikTok<\/a>, not just to document JT\u2019s journey but also to educate others. Her videos quickly reached millions of viewers.<\/p>\n\u201cRich, because one month into marriage we randomly met a little boy painting pumpkins in our driveway. That little boy now calls us Mom and Dad,\u201d she wrote in one TikTok video<\/a>, which has since amassed more than 900,000 views.<\/p>\n\u201cI\u2019ve probably had at least five families reach out to say they started fostering after seeing our posts,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s huge.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also hears directly from foster kids and adoptees. \u201cSome message me just to vent or share their stories. I can\u2019t always fix things, but I can listen \u2014 and I think that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n![\"Kendall](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/HgcS87CMpsHHwBKTlyw7fw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTY0MDtoPTk2MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/75c6bec11e33cbd712c4b2d72c746a75\"\/)
<\/div>\n\nKendall B Photography<\/p>\n
The DeLay family smiling together<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Today, the DeLays\u2019 home remains open to children in need. Since adopting JT, they\u2019ve welcomed more than 30 kids through both informal care and licensed fostering.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs foster parents, we don\u2019t make plans or set expectations,\u201d Claire says. \u201cWe\u2019ve learned that kids come into your life when they\u2019re meant to. So we just stay open \u2014 ready to love whoever needs us next.\u201d<\/p>\n
Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Just a month into their marriage, Claire DeLay and her husband, Eric, hosted a pumpkin-painting night in their driveway for neighbors<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
Among the crowd was a 2\u00bd-year-old boy who had come with his foster parents<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
Not long after, the boy’s foster parents asked if Claire and Eric could watch him on weekends<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Claire DeLay and her husband, Eric, married in September 2021 and moved into their first home just two weeks later. Eric, a firefighter, worked shifts every third day, while Claire ran her own concrete coatings business with a flexible schedule. Though they didn\u2019t yet have children, both shared a deep desire to foster and adopt one day.<\/p>\n
That dream came true much sooner than expected. Just a month into their marriage, the couple hosted a pumpkin-painting night in their driveway for neighbors. Among the crowd was a 2\u00bd-year-old boy nicknamed \u201cJay,\u201d who had come with his foster parents.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs soon as he got out of the car, he ran straight into my husband\u2019s arms,\u201d Claire, 29, recalls to PEOPLE. \u201cAnd for the rest of the night, he didn\u2019t want to be with anyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n Kendall B Photography<\/p>\n JT DeLay on a swing<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The boy\u2019s biological mother, who was also there, struck up a connection with the DeLays that same evening. Not long after, his foster parents asked if Claire and Eric could watch him on weekends. Though they weren\u2019t licensed foster parents, families in their Oklahoma community often relied on \u201cinformal care,\u201d<\/a> a system that allowed children to stay with trusted adults without state certification.<\/p>\n What started as weekend visits quickly grew into something more. By early 2022, both his foster parents and biological mother told the couple he would likely become adoptable \u2014 and asked if they would consider giving him a permanent home.<\/p>\n For Claire, the decision felt like fate. \u201cI always knew adoption would be part of our story \u2014 even before we got married,\u201d she says. \u201cWe just didn\u2019t realize it would happen so quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n That May, the little boy officially moved in. Just over a year later, in September 2023 \u2014 while Claire was pregnant with the couple\u2019s biological daughter \u2014 his adoption was finalized.<\/p>\n \u201cOur family threw us a big kid shower instead of a baby shower, so everyone could come meet him,\u201d Claire recalls. \u201cWhen we finalized the adoption, we had another huge party. I don\u2019t know if he fully understood what was happening, but he definitely felt celebrated.\u201d<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for\u00a0PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a>\u00a0to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n Kendall B Photography<\/p>\n Claire and Eric DeLay with their so, JT<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The couple also made a thoughtful decision about his name. Wanting to honor his roots while giving him a fresh start, they kept \u201cJay\u201d from his biological name and renamed him Jaden Teddy \u2014 JT for short.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we first met him, he couldn\u2019t even say his name,\u201d Claire explains. \u201cI asked, \u2018Can you say JT?\u2019 and he said, \u2018Chai Tea.\u2019 So we still call him that sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n With a new name and a new home, JT began a new chapter \u2014 though it wasn\u2019t without challenges. When he first joined the DeLays, he was just over 3 years old and developmentally delayed. \u201cHe was nonverbal, had no fine motor skills, couldn\u2019t color, didn\u2019t know his letters, colors, or animal sounds,\u201d Claire says.<\/p>\n Determined to help him thrive, Claire and Eric enrolled him in speech therapy four times a week with three different pathologists. Slowly but surely, his progress began to shine through.<\/p>\n Now, at 6, JT is flourishing. \u201cHe reads on grade level, talks nonstop and just played his first flag football game where he scored five touchdowns,\u201d Claire beams.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause we see him every day, we don\u2019t always notice it. But when friends or family see him once a year, they\u2019re amazed,\u201d she adds. \u201cWe\u2019re just so proud of how hard he\u2019s worked. He\u2019s the sweetest boy, such a great big brother, and we honestly can\u2019t imagine our family without him.\u201d<\/p>\n Kendall B Photography<\/p>\n JT DeLay with his sister<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n As their son grew, so did Claire\u2019s awareness of the broader issues around foster care. \u201cWhen we first started fostering, people would ask, \u2018Where did he come from?\u2019 \u2014 as if he had to be from another country,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s when I realized how little people knew about foster care here in the U.S., and how many children are still waiting for homes.\u201d<\/p>\n That realization inspired Claire to begin sharing their story on TikTok<\/a>, not just to document JT\u2019s journey but also to educate others. Her videos quickly reached millions of viewers.<\/p>\n \u201cRich, because one month into marriage we randomly met a little boy painting pumpkins in our driveway. That little boy now calls us Mom and Dad,\u201d she wrote in one TikTok video<\/a>, which has since amassed more than 900,000 views.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve probably had at least five families reach out to say they started fostering after seeing our posts,\u201d she says. \u201cThat\u2019s huge.\u201d<\/p>\n She also hears directly from foster kids and adoptees. \u201cSome message me just to vent or share their stories. I can\u2019t always fix things, but I can listen \u2014 and I think that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n Kendall B Photography<\/p>\n The DeLay family smiling together<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Today, the DeLays\u2019 home remains open to children in need. Since adopting JT, they\u2019ve welcomed more than 30 kids through both informal care and licensed fostering.<\/p>\n \u201cAs foster parents, we don\u2019t make plans or set expectations,\u201d Claire says. \u201cWe\u2019ve learned that kids come into your life when they\u2019re meant to. So we just stay open \u2014 ready to love whoever needs us next.\u201d<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
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