On the day he was adopted, the look on 3-year-old Michael Browns face truly said it all.

Michael was placed with his third foster family , Tara Montgomery and her two daughters, on Feb. 14, 2015. He was 18 months old at the time. When the original plan for him to reunite with his biological mom fell through, her rights were severed, which meant Montgomery could adopt him. She told The Huffington Post she wasnt initially considering adoption , but Michael changed her plans.

As a single parent, I was not looking to adopt, just to help kids during transition, she said. But that changed with Michael. It felt like he was a part of our family right from the start.

On Dec. 20, 2016, Montgomery officially adopted Michael in Phoenix. He had spent 832 days in foster care.