A two-year journey from classroom to family: Jackie Coombe was teaching second grade at Pathways Elementary in Ormond Beach, Florida, when she met a spirited boy named Jaden in late 2023. When she learned he was in foster care, she didn't just feel for him — she began the long process of adopting him —KH paperwork, background checks, then visits that grew from an hour to overnights. By December 2025 he lived with her, and in June 2026 a judge finalized it, making him Jaden Andrew Coombe. The 11-year-old's reaction said it all: "I got a mom!" (Source: KC101/iHeart.) What a moment.
Jackie Coombe first knew Jaden as one of her students. She had no idea that one day he would call her Mom. In October 2023, Jackie was teaching a second-grade class at Pathways Elementary School in Ormond Beach, Florida. One of the children who stood out to her was Jaden. Jackie later described him as spirited, energetic and full of personality. She ended up teaching his class for the rest of that school year, and over those months, the two got to know each other well. Then Jackie learned something she had not known before. Jaden was in foster care. She could have simply carried that knowledge home with her. Instead, she started asking what it would take to become an adoptive parent. The process was not quick. Jackie began the paperwork and background checks, but Jaden was not yet available for adoption. More than a year passed before she learned that he was still waiting for a permanent family. Then the visits began. An hour together became longer visits. Longer visits became full days. Eventually, Jaden began staying overnight. By December 2025, he was living with Jackie permanently. Still, there was one final piece missing. On June 10, 2026, Jackie and Jaden went to court. Judge Joan Anthony finalized the adoption and officially made Jaden part of the Coombe family. After a journey that had lasted roughly two years, the 11-year-old did not need a long speech. He simply said: "I got a mom!" Jackie later said that something seemed to change in him after the papers were signed. He appeared more relaxed, more talkative and more secure in the fact that this really was permanent. Sometimes compassion is not one dramatic moment. Sometimes it is paperwork. Background checks. Waiting. Showing up again. And again. Until a child finally knows he does not have to wonder where home is anymore. Sources: ABC News; WESH; Ormond Beach Observer. What do you think matters most to a child who has spent years waiting for something permanent
