Maybe it isn’t surprising to learn that Carter himself spent years in foster care as a young person, where he experienced the tragedies of separation firsthand. The new father had eight other siblings when he entered foster care at 12 years old, and the youngest of his siblings essentially vanished from his life for 14 years, before Carter finally saw him again when the baby brother was 16.
These details certainly add depth to the story, but Carter adopting the siblings remains an unprecedented and distinguished act; adoption case manager Stacey Barton stated back in November that, “I’ve never had a single father adopt five children…His childhood background has made him aware of the importance of keeping siblings together.”
Aside from his own relatable background, Carter did notice the connection between the siblings at several visits with the sisters’ foster parents. “We met up for visits, and all the kids were crying,” he said. “They didn’t want to leave each other, and at that moment, I knew, OK, I had to adopt all five.”
This mighty display of fatherhood even prompted Carter to work towards obtaining a bigger house, just so that these newly reunited siblings could be more comfortable together. Now, in 2021, Robert Carter, Robert Jr., Giovanni, Kiontae, Marionna, and Makayla will experience this new year as one big happy family under the same roof.
