One man traded his golden years for parenthood in a beautiful adoption story. Emilio initially thought his time parenting small children was over, but he made a surprising and heartwarming decision. Check out the short but sweet video of how Emilio became the adoptive father of a 3-year-old girl.

All children deserve loving and caring homes. They want to be somewhere where they feel safe, secure and have peace of mind. Sadly, though, many children do not have this, having been born into less-than-ideal situations and circumstances. Many children have never experienced love, safety, security and peace.

Foster care and adoption are of the utmost importance, offering children a chance, some hope and a future. Emilio, a retiree and father of three grown children who recently moved to Florida to enjoy his golden years, completely changed course and is now the adoptive father of Kiana, an adorable little girl.

In a clip posted on YouTube, Emilio admits that Kiana was only supposed to be with him for a month. However, things quickly changed.

“Yeah, I can’t imagine giving her back at this point,” Emilio said.

Kiana is over the moon about being adopted and having Emilio as her father.

“When I first got adopted, it was so amazing,” she said. “It’s like, really, I love him so much, like so much, like so much, like so very much.”

While choking up, Emilio explains that in the time Kiana has been with him, he has seen a dramatic change in her personality and demeanor.

“And I’m about to tear up because,” Emilio said before Kiana interrupted him.

“I was like so scared and shy,” Kiana says

“She was, you know, in a really bad space,” he said.

Emilio could have sat back, taken things easy, and enjoyed his retirement. But instead of doing that, he is giving a young woman a much-needed safe and happy home full of love and happiness.

Matthew 9:37 “Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few.’”