In October 2024, Florence police officer Michael Stanaland and Corporal Kelli Chapman responded to a call to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
At the Sept. 23 Florence City Council meeting, Florence police chief Jeff Mallery presented Stanaland with a distinguished service award for what happened in the aftermath of the call.
“Not to get into the specifics of the call, it involved a child the Cabinet was seeking placement for,” Mallery said. “At one point during the interaction, a staff member jokingly said to Officer Stanaland, ‘You could take the child home.’”
Stanaland didn’t brush off the comment. Instead, he called his wife, Tessa. The couple agreed to take the child in.
“What was intended to be a temporary placement, a few days to maybe a couple months, turned into something much more,” Mallery told the council and a small group that included members of Stanaland’s family. “Nearly a year later, the child remains in the loving care of the Stanaland family, who are now [the] official foster family.”
Mallery explained that Stanaland’s award differed from others the department has given out.
“Typically, this award goes to an officer who distinguishes themselves by demonstrating exceptional service which brings credit upon themselves and/or the Florence Police Department,” Mallery said. “The Florence Police Department is proud to recognize Officer Stanaland and his family for their extraordinary kindness, generosity, and unwavering commitment to the well-being of others.”
Stanaland received a plaque and a distinguished service pin to wear on his uniform. In a brief statement, Stanaland said, “A few months before this actually happened, we were saying prayers at nighttime and my son said that he would like to be a big brother in his prayer.”
The police officer joked that his family wasn’t going to grow by natural means, which elicited hearty laughs from the council and people inside the council chambers.
“There’s no way possible that’s going to happen and the Lord obviously had the last laugh, and his prayers were answered,” Stanaland said.
The decision to foster the child resulted in significant changes to Stanaland’s family. “The whole family has chipped in beyond what I could ever imagine and have opened up our home, changed their lives around,” he said.
