Photo: Hamilton County JFS Adoption & Foster Care Recruitment
A kind-hearted man who spent his life in foster-care has adopted 5 siblings so that they could have a permanent home and not be split apart. Robert Carter, who is 29 and from Ohio, adopted the 5 children and will now make sure they get the best upbringing possible.
Carter himself was just 12 years old when he entered the Ohio care-home system with his two siblings, a younger brother and a younger sister. Sadly, as they were put up for care in different foster homes, they were separated. Only years later did Carter manage to track down and be reunited with his brother and sister. This is a large part of the reason why he now feels so strongly about the importance of keeping families together no matter what the cost.
A court was quick to award custody of Marionna, Makayla, Robert, Giovanni, and Kiontae to Carter after examining his character and background. The five had been previously separated into 3 different homes and Carter's actions have not only protected their future but reunited them after an uncertain time apart. One of those 3 homes was Carter's own home, where he was already fostering the 3 brothers. He knew though, after seeing how upset the siblings were after a family meet-up, that he needed to keep them together permanently.
Stacey Barton, who is a caseworker and worked on the case, told a local TV news network:
"Mr. Carter was the only foster parent willing and able to adopt all of the children. His childhood background has made him aware of the importance of keeping siblings together."
"[I'm] making memories to replace a lot of the bad ones. Every night, I talk to them and let them know, 'I'm your dad forever. I know what it's like, and I'm always here for you.'"
Carter knows that it will take time to build trust with the children, but he knows that with hard work, empathy and love all five of those kids will grow up to be the best versions of themselves possible.
In the United States, there are currently an estimated 100,000 children awaiting adoption. Unfortunately, many get stuck within the care-system without securing a permanent home and are then forced to continually adapt to new surroundings and new families.
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