Six-hour trainings. Tuberculosis tests. Three separate background checks based on personality and character. A full house inspection. These are just a few of the things that need to be completed in order to adopt a child.

A new addition to a family is an exhilarating and life-changing experience. Social science teacher Allison Williams is currently taking the necessary steps to adopt a child. She believes that it will lead to a new and exciting direction in her life. But, the process is long and very drawn out.

Williams is currently towards the end of the process, in terms of being approved to have a child, not necessarily the end of the adoption process itself. That will come next.

For now, she’s just waiting until she gets her first placement. She chose to foster and then adopt a child through the county.

“So there’s two tracks: you can do foster and hope to adopt or you can do adopt-only. And I opted for the foster to adopt track because you have a better chance of actually adopting. I’m asking for zero to three. That’s like a prime age group for me to start with.”

With Williams’ expertise in the fields of psychology, developmental psych in particular, she feels confident taking on the challenge of adopting a child with disabilities.

“I opted for a child that could have a disability, because it’s something I could handle,” Williams expressed, “I was open to it, and I didn’t put a specification for race, age, or gender.”

Williams has always wanted to be a mom, but she didn’t have a clear picture of when that would happen.

She’s always been open to the idea of adopting or fostering a child; she’s never been the type of person to need the baby to be biologically hers. Around her thirtieth birthday, she started to think about her life moving forward. She told herself that if she wasn’t in a serious relationship by the time she’s 35, she would start the official process of adoption.

She’s 35 and a half now, and hopefully only a few months away from her confirmation.

Many AP Psychology students agree that Williams is a wonderful candidate to be a caregiver to a child.

Senior Brian Nelson, gave his feelings regarding the teacher.

“Her compassion towards the students well-being and mental health is more apparent than any other teacher I’ve ever met. She wears her heart on her sleeve each and every day of the week, and puts a smile on every students face.”

Williams feels that some of her most prominent character strengths will be conducive to raising a child that could have some challenges developmentally or emotionally.

“I think that I’m patient first of all, which I believe is beneficial. I am just a loving, caring person so I think that’s going to help. I’m really open to people and kids in general. So if the kid doesn’t look like me or comes from a different background…I don’t anticipate that’s going to be a hurdle.”

Williams background in developmental psychology will aid her as she makes major decisions in the raising of her future child.

“Intelligence is 50 to 70 percent based on biology. So, I have to prepare myself for the idea that my kid may not be able to go to college or may have some sort of specific needs that prevent them from even potentially living on their own…I think my knowledge of developmental psych will be the biggest positive.”

She’s proud of the opportunity to give a child a loving, supportive home as a kind, considerate mother.

“I’m essentially saving a kid, and I think that matches well with me,” Williams said.

Like many Sage Creek staff members, Williams will have to learn to balance her full-time dedication to her work and students, with a potentially newborn baby.

“I don’t know how it’s going to be for me in terms of balance. I’m definitely worried about it big time, because I care about my job so much, I’m worried about still being a good teacher and managing being a mom too. So that’s a real concern for me.”

Being a full-time teacher and full-time mom is hard to balance, especially when you’re a single parent.

“In terms of my major concerns, it’s being a single parent and managing that. How do I remain a good teacher and be also a good mom?”

Samantha Williams, her 26 year-old sister, recalled her reaction to Williams plans to adopt a child. The long awaited news of a child filled the room with excitement and joy.

“I don’t remember exactly where I was, but I remember we were having sister time. My first reaction was immense pride that she had decided to move forward with her dream of having a family and that she would be saving a child in doing so. It is a difficult decision for anyone to make but I knew she had weighed the options and ultimately decided to be selfishly unselfish and that made me happy.”

With the child hopefully coming soon, Sam elaborates on Allison’s motherly qualities.

“Obviously, a child impacts every parent’s life forever. I think, like anyone, she will have to adjust her schedule and routine to accommodate this little human, but she will be happier for it. It is also important to note how she will impact the child’s life. Allison is the most caring, selfless person I know and she will put everything she has into giving this child their best life.”

Sam looks forward to starting the studious life for the new child, as early an age as possible.

“I am looking forward to reading to the child and speaking to them in Italian. I want this child to become multilingual – English, Italian, Spanish to start. I am also looking forward to all the fun trips we will finally have to take to the botanic gardens, zoo, museums, etc.”

Having and raising a child is very expensive. Williams says that she’ll tackle the problem of ever-rising tuition rates for her future scholar when the time comes.

“I think that’s a concern anyone has with kids. It’s a kid that’s in the system. There is a lot of benefits when they go to college. There’s a lot of opportunity for them to get financial assistance. I’m hoping their grandparents— my parents—  will be helpful financially, or at least in some way, but I’m not so sure.”

Not everyone in Williams life has been unequivocally supportive. Her father expressed concern about the implications of adoption.

“I was asking my dad at Christmas if he is able to accept a child that is placed with me…and he said that he didn’t know…and I asked why? Was it because it was not biologically mine? Or because it’s potentially not white and he said it’s both, so I don’t know what’s going to happen. I still don’t really know what my families’ support is going to look like.”

Williams has the knowledge and expertise to be more than qualified for motherhood. She is very considerate of how others feel and does everything in her power to give her students every opportunity possible.

“There are so many children that need homes, especially in this country. You don’t want them to grow up without parents, which is exactly why Planned Parenthood is great to be funded,” Williams concluded, “But aside from that, I think my hope for my dad is that he’s maybe going to change or that, as time goes on, he has a really good connection with this kid. I believe it will happen.”