The Fend family experiences an instance of art imitating life when they settle in to watch the acclaimed 2018 film "Instant Family” starring Mark Walhlberg on movie night.

The film depicts the story of a couple who venture into foster care with the intention of expanding their family. But, their lives take an unexpected turn when they form a bond with three siblings, including a teenager, and embark on an unpredictable journey as a family of five.

“We get it,” laughed Jessica Fend, who along with her husband, Josh, are the parents of seven children — six of whom have been fostered and adopted through Adelphoi.

“Josh and I have one biological son, Cody, who is 17, soon-to-be 18,” Jessica began. “He is special needs as he is autistic and blind. We tried to get pregnant again with no success.”

Jessica, who had worked as a CYS caseworker in both Butler and Westmoreland counties, was no stranger to the foster care system.

“I knew the other side of things,” she stated. “I knew how many kids in our own backyard had nowhere to go. When Cody was 13 or 14, our first set of foster kids came.”

Cameron and Carson, who were 5 and 4 at the time, were first welcomed into the family, followed by twin brothers Richie and Ryan, who were 6, and their younger brother, Hunter, who was 5.

The Fends officially adopted the girls, now 8 and 9, in 2021, and the boys, also now 8 and 9, were adopted in 2022 after a lengthy court battle.

“The kids verbally stated that they wanted to be adopted,” Jessica noted.

In the same year, Adelphoi contacted the Fends regarding a special case.

Seventeen-year-old Zoe was living in a group home designed for young adults in Hempfield Township and was quite alone in the world.

“She did not have a good foster experience,” explained Jessica. “She had no family and had nowhere to go.”

Adelphoi approached Zoe and asked her if she wanted to try foster placement to at least have a loving home to go to for visits on the weekends and holidays. While leery, she agreed.

“She first came to us on Easter 2022 for a visit,” Jessica recalled. “She fit right in.”

Zoe continued visitations with the Fends after that initial encounter and it became obvious that she was meant to stay.

“She brought more of her stuff with her every time she came,” Jessica recalled. “We picked her up on the last day of school that year and that time, she stayed.

“Having that time before she moved in allowed us to prepare for her. She picked out paint and carpeting for her room. It became her own, which was nice,” said Jessica.

The Fends are currently in the process of adopting Zoe, who is now 18 and considered an adult adoption.

“She has to have a name change hearing first,” Jessica noted, adding that her adoption date is in the imminent future.

“They say it takes a village to raise a child: We have a village,” Jessica chuckled. The Fends, who reside in Scottdale, are surrounded by loving and supportive family.

“We live on 15 acres in the country. My brother and his family live on the adjoining property and our other neighbors are my mom and dad, so the kids can go between the houses while staying in view.”

“We have a huge support system,” she acknowledged. “Our parents are retired, so the kids go on mini-vacations with their grandparents. Their first cousins are 7 and 8 and they are close with them. It’s really special.”

Since becoming part of the Fend family, the children have been introduced to a plethora of new experiences and activities that would not have been possible in their previous circumstances.

“We have a huge adoption party at the end of the process,” said Jessica. “We go huge. We pack the courtroom. We have bouncy houses and everything.

“Both of our families have campers, we have a boat and go out onto the river and we have a pool at our house,” Jessica said. “Josh taught them all to swim and we like to go to the river and to the ocean.

“The boys had trauma with water and were deathly afraid. They wouldn’t even put their feet in and now they dive into the deep end,” she proudly stated.

“They all learned to ride bikes. We have a nice, long, flat driveway to ride on. They visit an aunt and uncle’s horse farm. The girls play softball year-round and the boys play baseball year-round. They all play basketball during the winter. The love Idlewild and Kennywood.”

The children have adapted well to public school and have made many new friends there. Jessica commended the Southmoreland School District, saying, "They have been extremely supportive.”

“We found that the twins did better when separated at school,” Jessica added. “One is special needs and the other is not, so he would go into parent mode. They did so much better when separated.”

As for Zoe, she is preparing to graduate from high school and will be attending Westmoreland County Community College in the fall. She has a job, her driver’s license, and even got her first car. She recently attended her first prom, as did Cody, who is a member of the varsity track and field team and plays the piano.

As idyllic as it sounds, Jessica notes that their journey has not been without its challenges.

“It’s not easy,” she confessed. “All of our kids were born with different levels of addiction. Some needed NICU stays and withdrawal from drugs. They were all extremely behind. The twins were in first grade and couldn’t spell their names and didn’t even know their ABCs. They all needed trauma therapy and one has anger issues.

“They say issues come out in puberty and we are there.”

Josh's home-based business and Jessica's role as the director of social work at a local nursing home allow them to stay engaged in their children's lives and provide ongoing support as the kids navigate their past traumas.

“We are a family at the end of the day,” Jessica stated. “No one is going anywhere. Adoption was important because they know they’re staying. Fostering can be hard on kids. Once they knew they were safe, they started disclosing a lot.

“We’ve told them they can be mad. It’s OK to be mad. They had to learn positive coping skills, though. We told them they can yell into a pillow, draw pictures, write letters, but they’re just not allowed to hurt each other or themselves.

“We are very pleased with Adelphoi,” she praised. “We have received amazing support from them. We have since recruited other family members who are now foster parents and friends who are now foster parents.”

Jessica provided words of support to fellow foster parents who are facing similar family situations.

“It’s OK to reach out for help,” she said. “You are going to need help. Every child comes with trauma. Talk to other parents, caseworkers and therapists. Your spouse is your best friend. This experience has brought my husband and I closer together.

“Come in with an open mind,” she advised. “We’ve been faced with everything and it’s OK not to be OK. The support is there. Your good days will outweigh the rough days.”