Hartselle couple foster 38 children through the years
Hartselle couple Anthony and Melanie Brown share their story about being foster parents for many years. Melanie says that her parents divorced when she was 8- years-old and she was adopted. She says that she had a wonderful childhood, growing up knowing that she was loved unconditionally by her mother, Barbara Moore. According to Melanie, her mother sacrificed many things to provide for herself and her older brother Darren. Melanie’s husband Anthony Brown, grew up with four siblings. He loved being in a larger family. Melanie and Anthony married in 1995 and started a family immediately. Their first child was a full term stillborn. They have three biological children, Chandler, 25, Carter, 21 and Caylee, 19.
Melanie says that when Caylee was 12, she answered a Facebook yard sale post to help a woman care for her children, Paislee and Legend started. The Browns began visiting them and they became foster parents for them, when they were picked up by DHR in August of 2015. Their mother had Bentley in January of 2016 and they picked him up from the hospital . Anthony and Melanie adopted Paislee, Legend and Bentley in December 2017 . They fostered another child and then the children’s mother had another baby. They got Lucy when she was 6-months-old. The Browns were approached about moving to The Circle Ranch and once they walked the property they knew that this was where God wanted them to be. According to Melanie, the Ranch has an amazing peaceful feeling and is healing to all who who visit. They moved to the Circle Ranch in February 2019. They had a few foster children come and go and then in June 2019, their three adopted children’s mother had a baby girl and they brought her home from the hospital. They adopted Lucy and D.J. in September 2020. Through the years the Browns have had 38 foster children. They had a little girl leave them in Feb. 2022 after staying 18 months. Melanie says that was hard on their family. That very day they picked up an 8-year-old girl named Jasmine. She came to them as a temporary placement. They were her seventh foster home by no fault of hers. They fell in love with her before they ever even tucked her into bed that night. Melanie says that last summer while they were on their Brown Bunch beach trip, they were asked if they wanted to adopt Jasmine. Although adopting another child was not in their plans, it was revealed right before their eyes that it was God’s plan for them to adopt Jasmine. On January 30, they adopted Jasmine. Her second grade class at Danville-Neel Elementary School took a field trip to celebrate with them. Melanie says that it was a amazing day. Anthony and Melanie Brown currently have 10 kids at home. Their oldest boys live on their own in Hartselle. Melanie says that life is crazy between appointments, visits with DHR and ballgames. They have five kids playing softball and baseball right now. Anthony is a retired school teacher and Melanie works full time in Hartselle. Anthony and Melanie also have a amazing church family at Danville Baptist Church. They have lots of friends and church family that have formed a village around them and they couldn’t do it without them. Melanie and Anthony say that they are very blessed.
