30-year-old Treka Engelman has had multiple people come up to her and ask if she was babysitting the three children that were with her. Her answer has always been a simple one, “No, their mine.” This question has been raised to her because her children are not the same ethnicity as her and range dramatically in age, but this does not affect Treka because all that matters to her is love.
“I’m a 30-year-old single black woman with 3 white kids. Love has no color in my home.”
Treka has adopted three children, Elijah, Alexis and Mercedes through the foster care system. Treka was raised in a big family, as she is the youngest out of eleven siblings! Sadly, her mother passed away when she was six years old. “I’ve never really had anyone to show me how to be a mom, but I guess it just came natural to me. I have 20 nieces and nephews, 3 great nieces, and a host of cousins who I have babysat over the years,” Engelman explains.
This love of taking care of children helped Treka’s decision to become a foster parent. Initially, Treka was unsure if she could even apply to be a foster mom as she was young and single. She soon learned that this would not hinder her application, as she only needed to be 21 years of age and her marital status was of no concern. Once she learned that she could, she applied and moved into a two bedroom apartment in hopes of bringing in a child. This would happen faster than she could have thought!
Treka attended the necessary classes to become a foster parent. Many of the courses were heartbreaking, as she had to hear about the horror stories that some children have to endure. Instead of backtracking, this spurned her on even further.
“Hearing the stories about some children that go through foster care just brought tears to my eyes and broke my heart. I mean, I lost my mom when I was young, but I couldn’t imagine being without my family. At that point, I wanted to take every kid in that I could,” Treka said.
Originally Treka marked on her record that she would take in older children starting at the age of four but changed her mind and let the workers know that she was willing to take babies as well. The very next day, she received the life-changing call that a baby boy needed a home. “On December 8, 2016 Elijah Lee Hill came to my home. My heart just immediately dropped when they brought this tiny little baby into my home. As it turns out, he was my first placement, not to be my last!” Treka explains.
In May of 2017, Treka was told there was two sisters, Alexis and Mercedes, that needed an immediate home. Of course Treka said she would take them in. She was told the girls would arrive later that night, but that was not the case.
“I heard the knock on the door and there stood this beautiful, petite little girl. Her name was Alexis Bowman, but I realized she was alone, even though they said two sisters would be coming.”
Treka was told that Mercedes had gotten into trouble and had been sent to a group home instead. Treka knew the importance of a sibling bond and made sure that even with the separation that Alexis and Mercedes stayed close. Treka would take Alexis to visit her sister every possible weekend!
With Elijah growing and the new presence of Alexis in their home, Treka knew they had to move to a bigger place. Treka moved the growing family into a three-bedroom home, which ended being perfect timing. Treka and Alexis found out that Mercedes could finally leave the group home and they were determined to bring Mercedes home with them! On March 16th, 2018, Mercedes came home to be with her sister and new foster family! In 2018, Treka turned 30 years old as well.
“So now at this point it was me, a single mom 30 years old with 3 children ranging from 1 to 15… You know what I was thinking? I love these kids and I wouldn’t have it any other way. They needed a home and I had more than enough to give them.”
While Treka has been their mother since the day each child has entered her home, it was on November 1st, 2019 that she became their legal mother. On that day the family of four became known as “Team Engleman.” She has some last words for any person that judges their family without knowing them.
“What I want to say to all the people who gave me negative comments after seeing that I, a black woman, adopted 3 white children: I am doing something that most couldn’t do. These children are in a great home with a loving mother. Love has no color in my home and they are loved unconditionally. I’ve been talked about all my life and that has never stopped me from doing what I was put here to do. I have a purpose and I plan to fulfill it!”
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