Single Mother Embraces a New Life by Keeping Foster Sisters Together
March 25, 2026
In the foster care system, siblings are frequently separated due to a lack of families able to take multiple children at once. This challenging reality is one that Ashley Anderson, a Tallahassee resident, decided to challenge.
Ashley Anderson / Credit: Forever Family
With substantial experience as a clinical social worker, Anderson had a deep understanding of the foster care system and a longing to become a mother. “I met a lot of foster families that way,” she mentioned. “And I always knew that I wanted to be a mom.”
This desire led her to become a licensed foster parent. Initially, she took on temporary placements. However, a pivotal phone call asked if she could care for a young girl named Anastasia, to which she agreed.
Shortly after, another call followed concerning Anastasia’s sister, Aliyah. Again, Ashley welcomed the opportunity. The third call came for a baby, Antonique, just four months old, who also needed a home.
Within months, Ashley’s home was transformed as she became the caregiver for the three sisters. During this time, she worked towards reuniting the siblings with their biological family, but when the court decided against reunification, she faced another critical decision: Would she adopt them?
Her answer was affirmative. Now, Ashley and her daughters proudly embrace the moniker “the A-Team,” uniting their names: Ashley, Anastasia, Aliyah, and Antonique.
Ashley’s commitment is grounded in her aspirations for their future: “To be able to hopefully have a different outcome for them as adults,” she expressed.
