💔 My Story – Why I Started Bond Before Blood

My name is Emily Martin, and I’m a foster mom in Florida.

Three months ago, I said yes to a little girl who needed a safe place. From the moment she came into our home, we loved her. We showed up for her. We comforted her when she cried, rocked her to sleep, and watched her slowly learn to trust again.

We bonded. And in that bond, she began to heal.

But now, despite thriving in our care, she’s at risk of being sent to an out-of-state relative that has met her once prior to coming into our home. Someone who may be a blood relative—but not someone she knows, loves, or feels safe with.

We’re told it’s because “family comes first.”

But here’s the truth: family is who shows up.

I know this personally. I was raised by step-parents, and I’ve seen firsthand that blood doesn’t make someone family—love does. The people who stand by you, who choose you, who nurture you through your pain… those are the people who matter most.

This system says biology matters more than bonding.

More than safety.

More than stability.

More than love.

I can’t stay silent.

Not when a child I love like my own could be ripped away—again.

Not when I know so many others are facing the same fight.

That’s why I created Bond Before Blood—to stand up for these children. To fight for trauma-informed laws and policies that put their best interest first. To make sure no child loses the only real family they’ve ever known just because of DNA.

This is more than one child.

It’s a broken system.

And we have to fix it.

If you believe a child’s heart matters more than their family tree—please stand with us. Sign the petition. Share our story. Help us protect the bonds that heal.