A man in the US has adopted five siblings to stop them from being separated from each other. Robert Carter, from Cincinnati, Ohio, always knew he wanted to adopt, as a g*y man who himself grew up in fo-ster care.
He said: “I’ve always known I wanted to adopt because I grew up in fo-ster care myself. “I knew about my se*uality very young, so I always figured I’d have to adopt if I wanted kids.”
The 29-year-old began by fo-stering nine-year-old Robert Jr., five-year-old Giovanni, and four-year-old Kiontae in December 2018.
However, he later learned they had been separated for six months from their sisters Marionna, 10, and Makayla, eight. He subsequently tracked down the girls’ fo-ster mums and arranged a play date.
He said: “The kids saw each other and started hugging and crying and wouldn’t let go. “That was the moment I said ‘Okay, I’m going to take all five’.” Robert took the bold decision having been separated from his eight siblings as a kid, spending the best parts of their childhoods apart.
He entered the fo-ster system when his youngest sibling was two and didn’t see them again for 14 years. He said: “I know the pa!n of being separated too well and I could not let that happen to them.” Understandably, people were concerned about Robert’s generous undertaking; looking after five children is no mean feat – let alone as a single 29-year-old. But Robert said family life is going well.
He said: “My five kids are amazing. “A lot of people think it’s hard if you’re by yourself or don’t have a house, but it’s a lot easier than people think it’s going to be and kids need parents whether it’s two or one. “After it was finalized, I just cr!ed because it was over and I didn’t have to worry about if they were going to be moved or would have to going through anymore.
“I woke up the next day feeling relieved, at peace, and blessed to have these kids.” The Carter family is now looking for a home, and a GoFundMe has already drummed up $39,000 (£29,857) of its $150,000 (£114,831) goal. Robert said: “I can’t even explain how unbelievable it is, just to have support and people sharing our story to bring awareness to the fact that we still have so many kids that need homes. “I’m just happy that I’m able to help encourage people to step up as fo-ster and adoptive parents so we can get these kids into great hands.”
This Article First Published On LADBIBLE