Robert Carter couldn't see that five siblings were about to be torn apart – without further ado he adopted them all at once and thus became a single father of five.
What happened?
Robert Carter from Ohio has done a real heroic deed: in one fell swoop, he took in five siblings to give them a home where they can all grow up together. From one day to the next he became the father of Kiontae, four, Giovanni, five, Makayla, eight, Robert Junior, nine, and Marionna, ten, before the law.
That's wonderful! How did he come to take in so many children?
This also has to do with the personal story of Robert Carter: He grew up in foster families and had no contact with his siblings for years. This experience was very formative for him and it was important to him that other children in a similar situation should later have it better than him.
And did he put this wish into practice?
He did, and it took a lot of effort. First he became the foster father for the three boys and learned that they still had two sisters who were housed separately. He quickly tried to establish contact with the sisters in order to organize at least one date for the children to play.
Did it work?
Yes, and it was this meeting that changed the lives of everyone involved. Robert had already decided beforehand that he wanted to adopt the three boys, but the meeting of the siblings changed his plans again. "The children looked at each other and began to hug and cry, and did not want to let go," Robert told the Daily Mail. "That was when I knew okay, I'll take all five."
And that worked?
Yes, actually: Although Robert is comparatively young at 29, is not particularly wealthy as a hairdresser and also has to look after the many children all by himself, the adoption was approved – and a dream come true for the five siblings. "My five children are amazing," says Robert. "A lot of people think it's almost impossible to do this alone and without a house, but it's a lot easier than people think and children need parents – one or two of them."