Imagine growing up in the foster care system, never finding that ‘forever home,’ and then deciding to change the lives of five young souls by uniting them as a family.
That’s the story of Robert Carter, a 33-year-old from Cincinnati, who knows the pain all too well.
The Department of Health and Human Services states that a shocking 390,000 children are in the U.S. foster care system.
Carter, now a father of five and a successful hair salon owner, became a foster parent to three brothers in 2018.
A casual chat he overheard between the boys revealed they had sisters, leading him to the realization that the siblings were separated.
Discovering this hit Carter hard.
He had experienced the same separation from his siblings at just 13 years old when he was placed in foster care.
His mother, a single parent struggling with alcoholism while trying to manage the needs of nine children, couldn’t care for them.
This forced Carter to become the caregiver for his younger siblings during his early life.
Despite facing enormous challenges, including stealing food from corner stores to feed his siblings, Carter avoided drugs and alcohol, determined not to repeat his parents’ mistakes.
Life continued to be hard after foster care.
At just 16-years-old, and after being in two foster homes, Carter began living on his own, working three jobs to survive.
One of the most difficult parts was not having a family to come home to.
He told CBS News:
“It was hard. It was one of the most depressing times of my life – something I would never want my kids to go through.”
Dedicated to reuniting the separated siblings, Carter contacted a Cincinnati foster care agency for help in finding the boys’ missing sisters.
Being the eldest sibling and a role model for the younger ones was a responsibility Carter knew all too well.
Having experienced foster care himself, he could empathize with the challenges the children faced, making him a compassionate and supportive figure in their lives.
“I feel like I just used my trauma and my hurting stuff to be my fuel, to keep going and to want better and want to help people and do better in life.”
The joy the siblings felt upon reuniting is beyond words.
Each of the five children had been placed in foster care and then separated, a situation that painfully echoed Carter’s own past.
The parallels between his childhood and the children’s experiences were striking.
Inspired by his challenging upbringing, Carter was driven to give back and provide for others what he was denied.
Carter officially adopted all five siblings so they will all grow up together.
The family now has a beautiful life and they enjoy creating new memories each day.
All of the kids even help out at their dad’s salon, pitching in wherever needed.
Carter’s actions highlight the significant impact one person can have on the lives of others.
By becoming a foster parent and reuniting the siblings, he not only provided a stable and loving home but also helped them heal from the trauma of separation.
As CBS News reported, Carter was able to reconcile with his parents, so the children now have grandparents in their lives as well.
Watch the video below to meet Robert Carter and his five beautiful children!
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