After aging out of foster care system, 19-year-old is adopted by former caseworker

Leah Paskalides and Monyay Paskalides.
(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/ABC News)

Monyay Paskalides now celebrates two birthdays: the day she was born and the day she was officially adopted by Leah Paskalides, her former caseworker.

Monyay, 19, of Bradenton, Florida, spent most of her childhood in foster care. Six years ago, Leah, 32, became her caseworker, and she told Good Morning America that once she gained Monyay's trust, "we just clicked." She became Monyay's mentor, and helped her as she aged out of the foster care system once she turned 18. This was a hard time, Monyay said, because she went from living in a group home where adults could "help you immediately" to being on her own.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.