Single Foster Father Adopts 5 Siblings So They Can Stay Together As a Family

A single foster father from Florida has officially adopted five siblings to keep the family together, according to WESH.

The Florida man, Robert Carter, a former foster child, knows the feeling of being separated from family. So to prevent the siblings from being separated by the foster care system, he adopted siblings Marionna, Makayla, Robert, Giovanni, and Kiontae.

Carter had been fostering the three young boys when he and the girls’ foster mothers decided to bring the children together so they could be with each other for the first time in six months. He knew from his experience the pain of being taken from a biological home and separated from his siblings.

At the age of 12, Carter went into foster care in Hamilton County, Ohio, and wasn’t able to see some of his younger siblings for years. He was later granted custody of his younger sister and guardianship of his younger brother once he was officially emancipated.

“I understand how they feel,” Carter said. “I understand what they went through, so it really touched me. I was already thinking about adopting all of the kids but when I saw them crying, I was like, ‘OK, I’m going to take all five to keep them together.’”

According to Fox19, adoption case manager Stacey Barton said, “I’ve never had a single father adopt five children. I’ve had married couples who have adopted six or seven, so this was a unique experience for me. Children need families, and it’s an opportunity for Mr. Carter to show the community that he can do it and others can too.”

“My mom had nine kids, and I didn’t see my youngest again. He was two,” Carter recalled. “I didn’t see him again until he was 16, so for me going through that, I knew how important it is for them to see each other and be around each other. When I had my boys before I got the girls, that’s all they talked about was their sisters.”