By Benjamin Rosas
Siblings Camila, Carlos, and Mariana had spent most of their lives in foster care in Colombia. Day after day, they waited for the right family to take them all in. But with a shortage of available adoptive families and thousands of children needing homes, their chances of finding a family willing and able to adopt all three of them were low. Thankfully, there is an alternative.
The Summer Miracles Program
Kidsave’s Summer Miracles program gives orphans abroad a chance to find an adoptive family in the U.S. Eligible youth stay with host families for 5 weeks in the summer (or 3 weeks over the winter holidays) where they are introduced to U.S. culture, attend summer camp, and, most importantly, connect with potential adoptive families. Hosting helps families build a relationship naturally over time. For many families, hosting is the first step toward adoption, just as it was for Steve and Melissa Hatcher.
With Steve already a father of five grown children and Melissa having been a middle school teacher, the Hatchers were no strangers to taking care of older kids and teens. As they explored the idea of adoption with Nightlight Christian Adoptions, they learned about Summer Miracles and were introduced to Camila, Carlos, and Mariana.
Over the summer of 2024, the Hatchers hosted the three siblings and were able to spend meaningful time together without having to decide right away about adoption. The hosting period was a learning experience for everyone involved, but they found that the five of them connected well and enjoyed being together. By the end of the hosting period, Melissa and Steve could no longer imagine their lives without Camila, Carlos, and Mariana, and they eagerly moved forward with adoption.
“I can't imagine not hosting first,” said Steve. “I imagine if you adopted [without hosting], you haven’t really met them, there's this tremendous build up to it. And then there’s a lot of settling in after. Where for us, it kind of ebbed and flowed more naturally because we were able to host them.”
Reflecting on those early days together, there were adjustments and barriers to overcome, but Steve and Melissa worked together to navigate them and find a system that worked for their new family.
“We had to partner and learn and help each other through it,” said Melissa.
Steve and Melissa decided that, with Melissa's background as a middle school teacher, she should homeschool the kids at first so they could learn at their own pace. Being native to Colombia, Spanish is their first language, so the kids worked at learning English as well as bridging some gaps in a few other areas. Beyond their studies, the siblings have become more involved in physical activities and joined teams in their community. Mariana is playing volleyball, Carlos has joined a basketball team, and Camila is taking dance lessons.
The family has also experienced many firsts while traveling together.
“They didn’t know how to swim and had never seen the ocean,” Melissa explained. “So, we took them to the beach and that was really fun, getting to see them experience that for the first time. And then they wanted to be in the water all day long, they didn’t want to leave.”
On another trip, Steve took the kids to Prague, where, despite the city’s famous landmarks, they were most excited about staying in a hotel and ordering room service. It’s the little moments like these that the Hatchers look back on fondly.
While there was a time when Steve and Melissa couldn’t imagine adopting three teenagers, now they can’t imagine life without them. For families interested in adoption but unsure about taking the leap, the Summer Miracles program offers a unique opportunity to build those meaningful connections naturally over time, without the immediate pressure of adoption.
“If I was talking to another couple, I would say you need to own the process,” said Steve. “[Kidsave] is going to tell you what needs to happen, they’re going to organize it, but the more you own it, the more you say ‘Ok this is ours, let’s make sure we ask all of our questions,’ the better.”
Become a Host This Summer
Applications are open for Summer 2026! Hosting a child can open the door and give them a chance to find the love and stability they deserve.
