Miranda Lambert [CBS]
CBS has booked Miranda Lambert, Rachel Platten and Alessia Cara as performers for its upcoming “A Home For The Holidays” special.
Set to air from 8-9PM ET/PT on December 23, the special features inspirational stories about children who have been adopted from foster care.
Lambert, Platten and Cara will not be the only performers on the special; additional artists will be announced shortly.
Details on the families set to be featured in the 18th annual “A Home For The Holidays” special follow:
Christensen Family (Los Angeles)
When Mike and Lisa Christensen decided to have children later in life, they chose foster care adoption. Although initially planning to adopt one child, the couple adopted three siblings after learning that the children could soon be separated in foster care. “Their background was heartbreaking, and we couldn’t let them lose each other,” says Lisa. Jasmine had lived in five different foster homes and taken care of her toddler sister and brother since their infancy. “They were my whole world,” says Jasmine. Today, all three children are excelling in school. “When I was little, I could never imagine my life without my sister and brother,” continues Jasmine. “And now I can’t imagine my life without our parents. We are so loved.”
Hangge Family (Nashville)
After raising their daughters, Jessica and Kelsey, military family Mike and Rebecca Hangge adopted their 8-year-old daughter, Brynlee, from foster care in 2012. “The moment we met Brynlee, we knew she was meant to be our little girl,” says Becky. Mike, a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, has performed 27 overseas tours to date, receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, and numerous Air Medals with Valor for his incredible bravery. Raised by his grandparents for much of his life, Mike and his family wanted to give a child what Mike was given — a loving home. “Every foster child should feel whole, they should stand proud, they should be loved. And they should not be left behind,” says Mike.
Munoz Family (La Verne, Calif.)
In 2003 Raul and Aracely Munoz received a call from their social worker about a sibling group that had moved through seven foster placements. They could not find a family to adopt all four children who had been drug exposed. The couple moved quickly to adopt the siblings. “In the beginning, we would find food taken from the cupboards hidden under their pillows and in their closets,” says Raul. “Our oldest, Ana, told us they had often gone several days without eating,” says Aracely. Today the children are excelling in school and sports with the oldest earning college scholarships. In 2009 the Munozes adopted their youngest child, Amanda, who now plays the flute in her school band.
Carroll Family (Los Angeles)
Nkechi Carroll, a screenwriter, and Jon Carroll, a school dean, married in 2002 and planned to have one biological child and adopt a child. When their son Isaiah was 4, the couple pursued their plan to adopt from foster care. “The adoption rates seemed so heartbreakingly low for boys, particularly boys of color. If gender or ethnicity is a reason why kids aren’t being adopted, that is absolutely ludicrous and we knew that we could change that statistic for one child,” says Nkechi. The Carrolls adopted their 4-year-old son Elijah the following year. “The bond our sons share is truly something remarkable. We have the family we always wanted. Our experience has been such a positive one. If you have the heart to be a parent, you can really do this,” says Nkechi.