An Adoption Story: The Trice Family
Before Palmer and Nicole Trice were even married, their future son, Jackson, was already part of their lives.
It all started in 2017, when Nicole’s parents began fostering Jackson, who was one year old. Nicole lived with her parents in the months leading up to her wedding, and she and Palmer loved hanging out with Jackson. He was even there to celebrate their engagement!
A few short months after their wedding, Nicole and Palmer began to babysit Jackson regularly. He was in and out of foster care during the first couple of years of his life but always wound up back with the Trices. And that’s when they began to consider adopting Jackson.
“We always knew we wanted to adopt,” says Palmer.
“We also wanted to wait five years before we had kids!” Nicole quickly adds with a smile.
Although it wasn’t part of their initial plan, they felt God leading them to adopt this child who they’d grown to love so much.
Adopting a child through the foster care system is a long and often uncertain process. There are numerous court hearings to attend and a lot of waiting in between. But Nicole and Palmer took the first step in 2019 by officially fostering Jackson. And it just so happened (though probably not by coincidence!) that around this time, Summit began forming Care Communities to support foster families.
Summit has 16 Care Communities serving families all over the Orlando area, with more being formed. One of the first Care Communities formed was for Nicole and Palmer. In those early days, a Care Community primarily served by delivering weekly meals to the foster family. That matters a whole lot to a family who might not have the time or energy to think about what’s for dinner! But over time, it grew into something even deeper.
“Soon, friendships formed with the people who were delivering meals to us,” says Nicole. “Some of our best friends today are the people who served on our first Care Community.”
That first Care Community served Nicole and Palmer for about one year. After a lot of waiting and trusting God’s timing, Nicole and Palmer officially adopted Jackson when he was five years old. And just a few days before the adoption was finalized, Nicole gave birth to Jackson’s brother, Miles!
If the Trice’s story ended here, it would be a wonderful testament to what happens when a Care Community comes together to support a foster family. But, as it turns out, this story has a sequel!
One Sunday morning in February 2024, Nicole got a phone call from DCF. Jackson’s birth mother had given birth to a baby girl three days earlier. The caseworker from DCF wanted to know if Nicole and Palmer would take her… and they only had an hour to decide! By this time, the Trices were a family of five. Their youngest son, Colby, was just under a year old.
Nicole received the call while her family was attending service at the Lake Mary campus. In the moments that followed, the Summit community surrounded the family with support.
“Some friends offered to watch our kids, so Palmer and I could talk through the decision,” recalls Nicole. “We sat in our car and stared at each other for a moment. And then we both knew the answer was yes. This was our daughter.”
The baby was in the NICU at Nemours Children’s Hospital. Nicole reached out to her friend Ana, who served on the first Care Community. Ana worked at Nemours and was able to check in on the baby. That night, Nicole and Palmer visited her at the hospital and felt a sense of peace about everything.
Meanwhile, Ana got to work, forming a new Care Community to support them. Within a few days, trash bags full of baby clothes were dropped off at their doorstep!
Jackson was excited to meet his new baby sister. He seemed to know this was God’s plan all along.
“About a year and a half earlier, Jackson said God told him he would have a baby sister,” Palmer says. “When we had his brother, Colby, I thought he was wrong. But he turned out to be right after all!”
“About a year and a half earlier, Jackson said God told him he would have a baby sister,” Palmer says. “When we had his brother, Colby, I thought he was wrong. But he turned out to be right after all!”
And when it came time to name the baby, Jackson wanted to call her Piece (yes, spelled that way, as in piece of cake!). Nicole and Palmer were amused, but not quite sold on that name. Nicole’s brother suggested the name Shiloh. When Nicole looked it up, she was surprised to learn that it means peace.
It would take another year before the Trices officially adopted Shiloh. But their new Care Community was with them through it all, providing support and encouragement.
The Trices are now a family of six. Jackson, now 10 years old, plans to be baptized later this year at Lake Mary.
When his dad asked him why he wants to get baptized, Jackson answered, “Because I know I’m going to follow God forever, so I want to do it.”
Serving on a Care Community requires an investment of time and resources. But the generosity of care team members are changing the lives of children and families throughout Central Florida. The Trices are certain their lives were made better because of the love their Care Community showed their family.
“It would have been such a hard year without the support of our Care Community,” says Nicole. “The meals are helpful, but even more is the community who checks in on you, prays for you, and supports you emotionally.”
“Adoption is hard,” adds Palmer. “Just being understood and heard is so nice. Our Care Community relieved some of the burden, and we are grateful.”
Written by Media Team writer, Michael Murray
Michael is a long-time Summit partner and author of five devotional books. He has a passion for sharing the good news that every single person matters to Jesus. Michael loves spending time with his wife, Diana, and their son, Emmett.