Family Wanted update: ‘Fab Five’ Kansas siblings might be movie material

Global interest in five Kansas siblings seeking to be adopted together now includes a production company’s offer to turn their story into a made-for-TV movie.

That idea is in its very early stages and likely would require a court’s approval of waiving privacy protections, said Theresa Freed, spokeswoman for the Kansas Department for Children and Families.

“We don’t want to stand in the way of opportunities available to these children” or a family who would adopt them, Freed said Wednesday. “For now, our primary responsibility is to serve (the siblings’) best interests.”

Until more information is received on the movie proposal, Freed declined to identify the company interested.

The Kansas City Star earlier this month introduced some 6 million readers to the group caseworkers are calling the “Fab Five.” Presented in The Star’s weekly Family Wanted feature looking at youngsters who need permanent homes, they are known only by their first names: Olive, Landon, Layla, Preston and Bradley, ages 2 to 11.

Freed said several “good candidates” for adopting the siblings have been identified and have already received the required training and background checks from the state. The state and contracted caseworker St. Francis Community Services are hoping to keep the children together with a family near their home community in central Kansas.

After this week, state and not-for-profit groups managing the siblings’ case will stop taking inquiries in order to review those from some 3,000 families who have already raised their hands.

About 2,600 people have emailed their interest to AdoptKSKids.org, a website operated by the Kansas Children’s Service League to promote adoptions, and roughly 300 of those emails are still unanswered.

Freed said inquiries have come from as far away as Ireland. State officials expect international interest to increase Thursday when a Department for Children and Families representative is scheduled to be interviewed by BBC News via Skype.

The adoption process will take three to six months to complete and won’t be finished until after the school year ends, Freed said.

This story was originally published March 22, 2017 at 4:56 PM with the headline "Family Wanted update: ‘Fab Five’ Kansas siblings might be movie material."