Shannon Payette had always known she wanted two things in life: to become a teacher and to be a mom. The latter, however, came with more obstacles. While fostering or adopting had always been something she’d considered, she wasn’t sure where to begin. Then her father, whom she was very close to, was diagnosed with cancer, and after hearing his daughter talk more about wanting to adopt, he told her, “That’s it. You need to do this now.”
Still, in her mid-40s, Shannon worried about what it would mean to go from a quiet household to suddenly caring for a child full-time. However, the conversation with her dad stayed with her, and when she shared it with her sister, her sister—who worked part-time at a gym—mentioned that she was training a client who happened to work in foster care and adoption and encouraged Shannon to reach out. That client turned out to be Lindsey, the Weekend Family Connections (WFC) Program Director at MARE. Soon after, an introduction was made, allowing Shannon to learn more about the WFC program.
As Lindsey explained the program’s goals, Shannon learned how the Weekend Family Connections program connects youth in foster care who are living in residential programs with host families who commit to hosting a youth a few weekends each month for a year, welcoming them into their homes, communities, and daily lives.
After hearing about the program, Shannon immediately felt that it would be the perfect fit.
After completing the training and matching process, Shannon and Austin first met via Zoom. Before the call, Shannon had sent a video introducing herself, her home, and her pets. From the moment the call started, Austin’s curiosity and infectious energy were palpable, even through the screen.
“He had the most beautiful smile, and his questions were just awesome,” Shannon reminisced. “I had mentioned in the video that my dad loved to build things, and one of the questions Austin asked was, ‘Will Poppa make a birdhouse with me?’ I just remember thinking… oh, this kid is going to fit right in.”
Their conversation flowed effortlessly. “We both love to talk,” she said. “There was no hesitation. I got off that Zoom call and immediately called my sister and told her, ‘I have found my kid. I just know it.’” Video calls soon turned into in-person visits, then sleepovers, and by July 2024, Austin had officially moved in with Shannon. The following summer, he finalized his adoption.
When Austin first started staying the night, he hadn’t slept in his own room in a long time and didn’t like the dark. “That was the most anxious time for him,” Shannon recalled. “I set up his room with some LED lights and asked, ‘What can I do if you need me?’” Austin’s first request was for a baby monitor but wanting to give them both a little privacy and independence; they compromised with walkie-talkies which they still use today.
“What I learned through the program was that you need to listen to the kids. I mean, really listen, and think about what they need, then put that in place,” Shannon said.
“It was just my mom. She helped me feel safer. She told me if I ever needed to talk to her, I could come to her. She made me feel so safe because I knew she was here,” Austin reflected.
Since Austin’s arrival, Shannon’s life has been filled with the kind of joyful chaos she never knew she was missing. “Austin is a hoot. He’s lovely and beautiful and just wants to be connected,” Shannon shares.
They love to cook together, can often be found snuggled up reading on the couch, making diamond art at the table, or spending time with Shannon’s large, close-knit family. And every single day, without fail, Austin demands four hugs. “He keeps count.” Shannon said, “We have to hug all the time. He thinks it should be a law.”
“Four hugs a day. Morning, home, lunch, and dinner. It should be a house rule.” Austin agreed.
Photos courtesy of Judy West
Shannon credits her family for helping make the transition into parenthood such a smooth one. “I wouldn’t have been able to do this without the people who have my back and who now have Austin’s back,” she said. “I grew up with a big family, and now he has them too. We both have this amazing support system around us.”
That same openness extends to Austin’s birth family. Shannon has remained in contact with his birth mother and biological brother, and last Christmas, Austin was able to reunite with his brother, spending Christmas together for the first time in four years. Shannon and her family have even begun learning American Sign Language so that they can communicate more easily with Austin’s brother who comes by for home visits every other Saturday. “In my world, no kid can have too much love," she said. “You can’t love someone enough. There’s always so much to give.”
Looking back, Shannon says the experience has transformed her life in ways she never expected. “This program has saved my life,” she said. “There are struggles, of course, trust issues, trauma, all of it, but at the end of the day, that kid puts a smile on my face, and his heart is huge. He has all these people around him who he knows are his.”
“It breaks your heart how many kids are out there who are lost and need just a little bit of love, trust, and acceptance. If they have that, think about how far they can go.”
For Shannon, Austin has become both her greatest joy and her greatest teacher. “He truly is the light of my life,” she said. “I get out of my comfort zone a lot more now. The Weekend Family Connections program changed my life in a beautiful way.”
When asked what family means to him, Austin summed it up best by answering, “Family are the people you go to, talk to, and who make you feel loved and safe. They’re the people who still love you and do things for and with you without wanting anything in return.
Watch even more of Shannon and Austin's story below.
