It’s official, Jennifer and Greg Gossard have adopted eight children from the same family.
- On Tuesday, a Utah family adopted five kids from Tampa
- The children are related to three children Jennifer and Greg Gossard already adopted
The forever home was finalized for five children via Skype Tuesday. The Gossards were in Utah and the proceedings were held in the a Hillsborough County courtroom.
The five children, ages 4 to 14, will now be raised by the same adoptive parents as their older siblings. The Gossards adopted the three older children about 20 years ago.
The Gossards have eight adoptive children and four biological children.
"Children are such a gift, they are innocent little beings that need love and to be cared for,” said Jennifer. “It’s heart wrenching to me see a child that is uncared for."
Police say the Tampa home the kids were in was far from a caring one. Their biological mother, Jamie Hicks was arrested two years ago and charged with child abuse, she’s currently in the Hillsborough County Jail.
"This was really horrific abuse, the kids had run away they were not going to school, the parents were not feeding them there was a lot of bizarre punishment and physical abuse," said Hillary Shaughnessy, senior director of operations with Eckerd Kids.
The Gossards want to make sure the past stays in the past and provide the children with a loving, fresh future in Utah.
“They needed a home and we needed to love them,” said Jennifer.