Feliza and Kevin Jones had been fostering and adopting children for several years, but had both agreed that they wanted to focus on school-age children. 

But when Feliza got a call about a baby named Kingston who was at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and needed a foster home placement — she dropped everything and drove to Columbus to pick him up. 

“I put that baby in (Kevin’s) hands and it was over,” she said. “They are inseparable! They are each other’s favorite person.”

Nine-years later, Kingston loves spending time with Kevin, who he calls “Papa.” They enjoy going to Christian music concerts and playing outside.

A fan of the movie “SpaceJam,” Kingston loves to play basketball, A third grader at Broad Peak Elementary he loves going through the hallways and getting hugs from teachers, principals and the school resource officer.

Feliza and Kevin — known as Papa and Mammy — have built a large family with 10 children — 7 are adopted — and 10 grandchildren. They also maintain relationships with many of their children’s biological families.

Kingston — whose last name is Scarberry-Jones — was formally adopted by the Jones in January 2026.

One of his older brothers is in the Columbus Police Academy, so Kingston is very interested in all things related to law enforcement. 

He also enjoys learning new dances from his sisters and playing the drums. 

“He’s a ball of energy,” Feliza said. “He knows no strangers.” 

When he first arrived at the Jones’ home, Kingston was diagnosed with “failure to thrive” and struggled to eat and gain weight.  Kevin and Feliza noticed that his hands and ears were different and he had a small head. 

Doctors recommended genetic testing, which showed that Kingston had Hunter-McAlpine syndrome, a very rare condition that causes developmental delays and intellectual disabilities. 

Children’s Hospital helped connect them with the Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities and Kingston started receiving Early Intervention (EI) when he was 7 months old. 

EI is a statewide program that supports children, from birth to age 3, with developmental delays or disabilities. Services are provided at no cost to families in their homes, where children learn best.

Now Kingston is supported by LCBDD’s Early Childhood team, while his older brother Shayde, 13, is supported by the agency’s Transition Youth Service Coordination Team.

Kingston also receives support from OhioRISE (Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence) and Children’s Hospital’s Partners for Kids.

Over the years, LCBDD has provided Family Support Services (FSS) funds that have helped the Jones get a stroller for Kingston and pay for sports for both boys. 

Kingston’s Service Coordinator, Connie Bryant, attends his IEP meetings, which helps Feliza feel that she had an advocate by her side. 

Feliza and Kevin are proud that Kingston is learning his letters and numbers and improving with potty training.

But motivating him to eat is his biggest challenge and maintaining a healthy weight has been a struggle, Feliza said. 

In January, Kingston began using a feeding tube, which has helped him gain weight and get stronger. 

His journey hasn’t been easy, but Kingston continues to show he can surpass expectations and move forward.

One recent example is learning how to ride a bike, Felicia said 

“We didn’t know if he could do it,” Feliza said. “But he got on the bike and just took off!”