Being raised by loving parents isn’t always a given. 

So when a 2-month-old girl needed a safe spot to grow and be loved, her foster parents jumped at the chance to help, even if it was only for a night.

Family is the people that love and cherish you, regardless of if you’re related by blood. And for these parents, that love that started with the tiny baby placed in their care only continued to grow. 

And nearly 2,000 days later, what was supposed to be just an overnight stay became permanent. 

The now 5-year-old Cece was adopted by Cindy and Jeffrey Moore on May 11.

We were just supposed to be an overnight stay until they found [a long-term] place,” Cindy Moore told “Good Morning America.”

Cece first arrived at the Moores’ home in Depew, N.Y., still practically a newborn.

“Once we saw her cute little face, we jokingly told them, ‘If you need a place long term, let us know,'” Cindy Moore recalled. “The next day, they said, ‘You know, if you’re serious about it, we could really use a long-term placement for her.’ And yeah, here we are over five years later, and that long-term placement has now become a forever home for her.”

Cindy and Jeffrey Moore with their newly-adopted daughter, Cece. Photo courtesy of the Moore family

After years of infertility, the Moores became certified as foster parents.

“Friends of ours had some children that they had fostered and then they were in the process of adopting some of them. So, we picked their brain a little bit, got a little bit of information about how the foster system worked and what their experiences were, and then they sent us information to the agency that we work through — Child and Family Services,” Cindy Moore explained. “That’s how we ended up getting certified through them.”

The pair have fostered more than 30 kids in the past 8 years. But being able to adopt Cece, is full of so many special emotions.

“It’s really, really gratifying for us. We’re very excited about it. Every time we take a child in our house, you never really know how it’s going to pan out long term by the time you start,” Jeffrey Moore said. “We had very high hopes in the beginning that we would get to keep Cece long term and be able to adopt her into our family, and we’re ecstatic that it finally, finally got to that point.”

The open home and hearts of Cindy and Jeffrey Moore hasn’t stopped. They have adopted two more children, and are currently in the process of a third adoption – one that was a bit of a surprise.

Cece Moore. Photo courtesy of the Moore family

“The same day that Cece was actually adopted, we found out that her half brother that we’ve been fostering has been freed for adoption. So we’ll be starting the adoption process with him as well,” Cindy Moore said.

Cece told reporters how happy she was, and that she was “so excited to be here.”

My mom and dad are so nice,” she added. “I love them.”

Jeffrey wanted other parents know that adopting a child can make such a difference for them “I always tell people you take a chance you’d be surprised you know how rewarding it is for both of you and the children in the house,” he said. “We’ve had very sweet kids come and go through our home, but luckily this one isn’t going anywhere,” Cindy added.

For a glimpse at the amazing family and their journey to adoption, watch below.

Sources: Good Morning America | People