‘God Told Me To Do It’: Teacher Uses Her Entire Savings To Adopt ‘Problem Child’ And His Brother

A young teacher gave her student and his brother the gift of a forever home, saying it was God who inspired her to take this leap of faith.

Chelsea Haley, then 24, was a new teacher when she decided to adopt her fourth-grade student Jerome Robinson and his younger brother, Jace.

The decision was unprecedented and cost her entire life savings, but Chelsea felt compelled to fulfill what she believed was God’s calling.

Today, Chelsea and her family are sharing an update on how God has been at work in their lives since that life-changing decision.

How It Began

Chelsea joined Teach For America after feeling God’s call to make a difference in low-income schools. It was there that she met Jerome Robinson.

Initially, Jerome was seen as a “problem child” in her classroom, so disruptive that Chelsea almost left the teaching profession altogether.

However, as she stayed on and worked with Jerome, she began to understand that his behavior stemmed from a difficult home life.

The Adoption

The challenging home situation also affected Jerome’s younger brother, Jace. Chelsea felt increasingly drawn to help her “problem student” and says that God appeared in her dreams, urging her to adopt both boys.

Following God’s prompting, Chelsea spent her entire savings and cashed out her 401k to welcome Jerome and Jace into her home. “I never thought I’d be a single mom at 24,” Chelsea shared. “Especially to two boys—one, my 12-year-old student, and the other, just a year-and-a-half old.”

While many might have found it unthinkable for a young woman to sacrifice her future and finances for two strangers, Chelsea believed that God was guiding her every step. She faithfully embraced motherhood despite the cost.

“My faith played a huge role in this journey, and I truly felt God calling me to be their mother,” she says.

God’s Reward

Surrendering to God’s plan wasn’t easy, but Chelsea believes she has been richly rewarded.

Adoption attorney fees and living expenses depleted her savings, and she relied on credit cards to cover their needs while deferring her student loans, which put her into significant debt.

Despite the financial strain, Chelsea says, “Being their mom is the greatest blessing of my life. Every morning, I get to love these two boys.”

Determined to provide for her new family, Chelsea took on extra work tutoring and delivering groceries. They moved in with her parents to make ends meet, and her hard work eventually paid off. Today, Jerome, now 17, and Jace, 6, not only have a loving home, but Chelsea has also paid off $48,683.41 in debt from credit cards and student loans.

“It doesn’t feel real yet,” Chelsea said. “It’s so amazing. I even logged into my student loans and it said, ‘Cleared. Zero balance.’”

Now, Chelsea is focused on building a stable future for her family. Through her faith and love, Chelsea Haley has profoundly impacted the lives of these two boys, raising them with guidance and support, and equipping them to be responsible citizens, all with God’s help.