Local couple shares adoption journey for National Adoption Month

MAHOMET, Ill. (WAND) - November is National Adoption Month—a time to recognize adoption as a beautiful and complex journey that lasts a lifetime.

For one central Illinois family, starting a family wasn't easy. Daniel and Holly Turkowski always knew they wanted to be parents. They both admired their parents and knew they wanted to welcome a baby into their lives at one point. The couple struggled to start a family the traditional way. In 2020, they decided to try adoption.

"We realized there are a lot of kids out there that need a good home, and there's a lot of couples like us that need a child, so it just made sense to go for adoption," said Daniel.

The road toward adoption isn't an easy one. One week before their contract with Lutheran Child and Family Services was set to expire, they got a call about a baby boy in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

"We were really excited, but we were also like is this really happening?" said Holly.

The couple met with the expecting mother in 2023 and a couple of months later they made the journey to Tennessee to meet their new baby boy.

"It was a rush the whole way," said Daniel. "It was probably the fastest 8-hour trip I have ever had in my life."

In 2023 the couple welcomed Joseph into their family.

"We needed him. He needed us. We are just so thankful God brought us together," said Holly.

Lutheran Child and Family Services of Illinois (LCFS), a licensed statewide child welfare agency, provides vital resources and support, to families. Lori Lynch, adoption social worker with LCFS, said she is committed to supporting adoptive families at every stage, from the initial decision to adopt through the lifelong journey ahead.

To learn more about adoption and Lutheran Child and Family Services, click here.