Family's state improves

The 37-year-old mother of 15 children, including 12 who are younger than 18, met with state child welfare officials Thursday and hammered out an agreement under which she will move in to a house big enough for the family by next week.

Angel Adams' plight came to light Wednesday after she and her children had been evicted from her apartment and had to live in a single room at Economy Inn on East Busch Boulevard.

Adams and her children spent Wednesday night at A Kid's Place, a facility south of Brandon that offers temporary housing for foster children and families in trouble.

On Thursday, the Florida Department of Children & Families, Hillsborough Kids Inc. and other agencies met with Adams and came up with a solution.

Nick Cox, regional director of DCF, said that within seven days, Adams will move in to a house large enough to accommodate her dozen children. He said the 1,700-square-foot home has several bedrooms.

The arrangement came after delicate negotiations between all necessary agencies and the Tampa Housing Authority, which had banned Adams four years ago from participating in subsidized housing because she owed the authority more than $6,000 in back rent.

Cox said Hillsborough Kids agreed to help pay off the debt if the authority would waive its five-year ban on Adams a year early.

"We're hopeful this will be the ticket," Cox said.

Adams admitted owing money to the authority, although she disputed the figure.

"They say I owe the housing authority $6,000," Adams said. "I think $900 and something, due to getting evicted."

Housing authority spokeswoman Lillian Stringer said Adams owed $6,320 and was booted out of subsidized housing in 2006. With the promise from Hillsborough Kids to help repay the debt, Adams can re-enter the program immediately, Stringer said.

"If they pay the debt," she said, "we can certainly work with her."

Adams and her children spent nearly a week in the motel room, paid for by a relative, and lived on donated food.

Penniless and desperate, she demanded help from the county and the state, saying she couldn't properly care for her children without it.

Adams doesn't have a job, and all her income is from the government. Taking care of the well-mannered children was full-time work, she said.

The kids were fathered by three men. The father of the 10 youngest is doing five years in prison for dealing cocaine.

The family had spent the week with no change of clothes, no shoes and two toys to share. Thursday, they all had new clothes and shoes and were enjoying a spacious playground at A Kid's Place, which opened in June, said spokeswoman Virginia Johnson.

"We are focused on sibling groups, trying to keep them together as a family unit until a more permanent solution can be found," she said.