An unexpected adoption story for 2004
By Linda DeMonte
Special to the Acorn Newspapers

A NEW FAMILY-Tony and Yvonne Falcone with two-year-old Ryan and baby Angelica.

An unexpected phone call on New Year’s Eve gave new meaning to the term "ring in the new" for Yvonne and Tony Falcone of Thousand Oaks. Plans to welcome in the new year with friends at an America concert in Agoura Hills were scrapped. Instead, they drove to a group foster home in Lancaster to welcome two hungry siblings–– sight unseen––into their lives as an "urgent placement" and get acquainted with the children destined to make the couple a family.

Overnight the Falcones became instant parents to Ryan, 2, and Angelica, 6 months, after the children’s fifth foster home in six months was no longer an option.

"They came to us with a couple of outfits, some diapers and a pair of shoes," Yvonne said.

"They never had one toy of their own, no special blanket. They had nothing," Tony added.

The Falcones have yearned for kids throughout their 25-year marriage and sometimes doubted they’d have them. After enduring five miscarriages and a stillborn full-term daughter, their desire to adopt intensified about three years ago.

"We were so ready to be parents," Yvonne said. "We took so many parenting classes we could teach them."

Adoption seemed the way to go, but with private agencies’ fees starting at about $30,000, the cost was prohibitive. Deciding to focus instead on foster children, the Falcones were stunned to learn there are 50,000 homeless children in the California database. They signed on for the Fost-Adopt Program through the Children’s Bureau of Southern California. They trained to serve as foster parents until their ultimate goal of adoption could be met.

"We were open to anybody," Tony said. "We just wanted to give someone a permanent home."

Tony works for the city of Agoura Hills and Yvonne Malone-Falcone is CEO at InLight Productions at Universal Studios, though she is relocating to her home office.

Ironically, they’d heard about these same children four months ago, but the opportunity fell through and Ryan and Angie were placed in Lancaster.

"I sat in the tub and cried for seven hours," Yvonne recalled.

So when their social worker called on Dec. 31 and asked if they believed in miracles because those same children were about to become homeless again, they didn’t think twice and headed for Lancaster.

"We were prepared for the worst and for a difficult transition, but it never happened," Tony said.

"Both seemed to know they were home," Yvonne added.

Caught offguard on a holiday weekend, they had to wing it with supplies.

"I asked Tony if he could make a sippy-cup out of duct tape," Yvonne said.

Friends Lance and Caryn Sterling of Moorpark hosted an "emergency baby shower" at their hilltop home three days after the kids came. Earlier they had sent out an e-mail requesting new or used items and indicating sizes.

"There were so many wonderful and loving people, with so, so many baby gifts, oh my gosh. So much generosity, so much love and joy, so much food. What a party," said Yvonne.

Three van-loads of new and recycled clothing, toys, books, videos and more caravanned home to get them started.

"Tony and Yvonne are genuinely great people and people like that bring it on themselves," said Lance Sterling. "For (Ryan and Angie) there could be no better match."

There have been some frustrations. Navigating the court system to complete the adoption process is at times "insane," Yvonne said. Trying to find medical care for babies who were on MediCal as wards of the state when fever hit on a holiday weekend was difficult. Tony found no pediatricians in the Conejo Valley that would accept MediCal patients. Los Robles Hospital Emergency Room ultimately provided relief and lots of antibiotics to combat severe sinus infections and bronchitis. Insurance can’t be provided on the Falcones’ policy until the adoption is complete.

By the time all four of them recovered from their collective fever, they were well on their way to becoming the family they’d dreamed of.

"Caring for sick babies was hands down the best quality bonding right off the bat. We so love and adore these kids," Yvonne said.

One month later, Ryan is giggly, loves to help his daddy fix things and vacuum. Angie, with two new teeth, smiles and snuggles against her mommy’s neck.

"I can’t remember before they were here and I can’t imagine our life without them," Yvonne said.