She sought assistance from a paralegal and began navigating the complicated child-welfare and family-court process.
At the same time, she needed money.
So she worked.
And worked.
And worked.
Laine told PEOPLE that she was working two jobs while also attending community college and attempting to care for her siblings. Friends, family members and supporters eventually helped raise nearly $10,000 through a GoFundMe campaign and word-of-mouth donations.
The money could not solve everything.
It could not erase the legal obstacles.
It could not undo the children's earlier experiences.
And it could not make Laine suddenly become an experienced parent.
But it gave her something essential: the ability to keep fighting.
The legal battle reportedly lasted approximately two years.
Three biological parents were involved in the process of terminating parental rights, a necessary step before Laine could ultimately adopt the children. The case demanded extensive paperwork, court proceedings and proof that she could provide a permanent home.
At points, the process became so demanding that Laine has described sleeping on the floor of her paralegal's office while working through the case.
For someone who had only recently become a legal adult, the scale of the responsibility was extraordinary.
She was not simply asking a court to let her babysit her siblings.
She was asking the state to recognize her as the person capable of becoming their permanent parent.
October 25, 2017
The breakthrough came on October 25, 2017.
Laine was 19.
That day, the four children were officially placed in her care through the foster-care system.
For Laine, it was a victory.
But it was not the end of the struggle.
It was the beginning of an entirely new life.
Suddenly, she was responsible for four children around the clock.
There were no easy weekends.
No simple college schedule.
No ability to spontaneously leave town.
No normal teenage or young-adult freedom.
She described the transition as immediately becoming "full-time mom mode," emphasizing that there were essentially no breaks.
The children had also experienced instability.
For them, moving into a comfortable home did not necessarily mean that they immediately felt safe.
A child who has experienced repeated disruptions may continue to wonder whether another disruption is coming.
Will someone take me away?
Will I have to move again?
Will my siblings stay with me?
Is this home really permanent?
Those questions can remain long after a child has physically entered a safer environment.
That is one reason the preservation of sibling relationships is considered so important in child welfare.
Why Keeping Siblings Together Matters
Laine's story is deeply personal, but it also illustrates a broader issue in the U.S. foster-care system.
According to AdoptUSKids, approximately two-thirds of children in foster care have a sibling in care, and many siblings face separation because agencies cannot always find permanent placements capable of taking an entire sibling group. Research summarized by the organization indicates that siblings placed together can experience fewer placement disruptions, greater emotional security and important benefits from having one another as a constant source of support.
For children who have already lost the familiarity of their home, school or biological parents, a sibling can be one of the few remaining connections to their previous life.
That relationship can provide continuity.
It can also provide a shared understanding that adults may not fully possess.
A brother remembers the same childhood.
A sister knows the same family stories.
They may understand fears and memories without having to explain them.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Child and Family Services Reviews have likewise emphasized the importance of maintaining children's connections with brothers and sisters. Federal child-welfare policy calls for reasonable efforts to place siblings together when appropriate and to maintain meaningful contact when they cannot be placed together.
Laine's decision therefore meant more than simply giving four children a place to live.
It allowed them to remain a family unit.
The Difference Between Foster Care and Adoption
Even after the children came into her home, Laine still lived with uncertainty.