Cincinnati Man Who Grew Up in Foster Care Adopts Five Siblings to Keep Them Together
Cincinnati Man Who Grew Up in Foster Care Adopts Five Siblings to Keep Them Together
Cincinnati Man Who Grew Up in Foster Care Adopts Five Siblings to Keep Them Together
Robert Carter, a single father from Cincinnati, Ohio, turned his painful childhood experience in foster care into a commitment to keep five siblings from experiencing the same separation he once endured.
Carter was 12 when he entered foster care and was separated from his own siblings. Years later, that experience influenced his decision to become a foster parent and provide children with a stable family environment.
In 2018, Carter began fostering three brothers — Robert, Giovanni and Kiontae. He later learned that the boys had two sisters, Marionna and Makayla, who were living in separate foster homes.
Determined to keep the siblings connected, Carter helped arrange visits between them. During one of the reunions, he watched the five children hug, cry and struggle to say goodbye when the visit ended.
That emotional moment convinced him to take a life-changing decision.
“I knew, OK, I have to adopt all five,” Carter said, recalling how the children reacted to being separated again.
On October 30, 2020, Carter officially adopted all five children during Hamilton County’s Adoption Day, becoming their father and allowing the siblings to grow up together under one roof.
At the time, Carter was 29 years old. His story attracted widespread attention because his own experience of being separated from his siblings had shaped his determination to ensure the children would not face the same pain.
Carter’s journey from a child in foster care to the father of five has since been recognised for its commitment to preserving family connections. In 2024, Casey Family Programs presented him with its Life of Hope Award for his enduring commitment to children and families.
What began with his own experience of family separation became a promise to five children: they would not have to grow up apart.
Cincinnati Man Who Grew Up in Foster Care Adopts Five Siblings to Keep Them Together
