Jewel Dews, 9, and her two younger brothers have been given the opportunity to rediscover the family life they almost lost.

They have been living apart for years, caught up in the foster care system with little prospect of being together. Now, thanks to two adoptive Maryland couples who live about 20 minutes apart, Jewel and her brothers, Jamahl, 5, and Jamil, 4, will have the chance to keep their bond strong.

Yesterday, in the sun-drenched atrium of DC Superior Court, Jewel was adopted by Darlene and Winston White. Her brothers were holding hands with Susan and Randall Neal, who adopted them two years ago.

"One of the greatest gifts you can give another person is of yourself," Susan Neal said. "For us, we knew these kids came from pretty sour backgrounds and they had a lot of trauma and a lot of loss issues. We knew we could do better than that."