'We adopted 5 siblings who had been split up - our daughter had been to 30 homes'

A couple who were desperate for kids of their own have told of their joy after adopting five siblings from the same family.

Kayla and Jerad Moffitt, from Arkansas in the US, always knew they wanted to start a family and had looked into adoption - but didn't expect they'd end up taking on as many kids as they have.

Speaking to People TV channel for People magazine, the pair said they were approached by adoption advocate group Project Zero, who set them a photo of the five siblings.

Kayla said: "My heart just melted when I saw them. I sent the picture to Jerad and at that time we were still like 'we can't take five'."

Shay, 15, Aria, 11, Willow, eight, Nia, five and four-year-old Drew had been in foster care for three years - and had been in different homes for the majority of that time.

Kayla and Jerad weren't sure at first if they could handle 5 kids (People/ Flash)

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And for eldest Shay, it was difficult to not know where her younger siblings were or how they were doing.

She said: "It was really stressful for me and I was not worried about school at all - I was just like, 'Where are my siblings'?"

Although at first they were reluctant to take on such a big family, Kayla and Jerad were won over by their lovely smiles - and by August 2020 they'd arranged a first meeting with the kids at a theme park.

Kayla said she was put to the "mum test" when she had to take little Drew to the toilet - but although she'd never done anything like it before, it helped her bond with the only boy in the family.

When the kids officially became part of the Moffitt family, Kayla said they had been "bounced around from home to home" - and one of the girls was even on her 30th home.

The kids settled in quickly and are so relieved to be together again.

For Shay, her time with the Moffitt family has seen her go to the same school two years in a row - something she had never experienced before.

Do you have a real life story to share? Email jessica.taylor@reachplc.com

Now the family are as one, Kayla and Jerad are passionate about keeping siblings together wherever possible when it comes to adoption.

Kayla said: "We can't speak enough on keeping siblings together."