This fundraiser is to help ease the burden of legal fees and medical expenses that have and will continue to accumulate as Mark & Erica Bauman proceed in adopting their niece, Amelia Grace.

UPDATE 11/19/2022: Erica and Mark are in more financial need than ever. They have just initiated the adoption process for Amelia's two older siblings, thereby saving them from living in a group home (for the eldest) and bouncing around the foster care system (for the younger of the two). These sweet kiddos now have the best shot at a full and safe life as members of the Bauman family!

ORIGINAL POST: On August 4, 2021, Amelia Grace was born to long-time and active drug users. Her biological mother immediately and willingly signed over all of her parental rights to Mark and Erica. She desperately wants Amelia to be raised in a stable and loving home, one that she knows she and Amelia's biological father cannot provide. However, Amelia's biological father (Erica's brother) has refused to relinquish his parental rights, despite continuous homelessness, jail time, drug use and unemployment. As a result, Amelia's adoption is now contested and the Baumans have already spent over $20,000 in the process and are nowhere close to resolution. Regardless of the cost, Mark and Erica are committed to continuing to raise Amelia in their safe and loving home, thereby breaking the cycle of drug abuse in Amelia's family.

Mark is a Geospatial Engineer in the Army, serving over 20 years including many combat deployments. Erica homeschools all of their six children and usually has a handful of neighborhood kids in the mix after school too...because that lady just knows how to make people feel loved! Amelia fit right into their amazing crew since the day they brought her home from the NICU. She's truly thriving in the loving care of the Baumans, impressing even her pediatrician with her progress despite drug exposure in utero.

You now know, if you didn't already, that both our legal and adoption systems are severely flawed. A kinship adoption, born out of a child's right to safety and stability, should not present a potentially insurmountable financial burden to the adoptive family. Amelia deserves this opportunity to continue to grow and thrive in a loving, stable, and safe home, and I pray that financial means will not stand in the way of that. Whether it's through prayer or financial contribution, your support would be so appreciated.

The Fight for Amelia

By Kaitlin Ellison-Brinker

The Fight for Amelia

Help Amelia Stay with Her Family

Team Members