A same-sex couple adopted six siblings after the children spent nearly five years in foster care, making the household a family of eight.
This month, Steve Anderson-McLean and Rob Anderson-McLean from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania adopted Carlos, 14, Guadalupe, 13, Maria, 12, Selena, 10, Nasa, 9, and Max, 7.
The two dads, who have been together for 18 years, decided to go through with the adoption after they first heard about the six siblings and their need for a permanent home after experiencing neglect and abuse.
Love: Steve Anderson-McLean and Rob Anderson-McLean from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania discovered the six siblings online in need of a home
Growing family: In May, they officially adopted Carlos, 14, Guadalupe, 13, Maria, 12, Selena, 10, Nasa, 9, and Max, 7 — after they spent 1,640 days in foster care
‘Such a staggering amount of sibling groups are broken up and it broke our hearts,’ Steve told Good Morning America about the decision.
Together, the couple has also raised sons Parker, 25 and Noah, 21, who came from their previous marriages.
Heartwarming: The siblings spent 1,640 days in foster care before they found a permanent home with Steve and Rob
They were first married in a commitment ceremony in 2006 before getting legally married in Maryland in 2013.
After their two sons grew older, the couple realized they were not done parenting children — and were inspired to consider adoption.
They soon discovered six siblings in need of homes while researching children in need across the United States.
Often, families of that size are split up — if any manage to find permanent homes, it is frequently separate from their siblings. But Steve and Rob decided they could offer all the children a permanent home.
‘The judge asked, ‘Do you understand at this point forward they are your children? They are just as much as your biological children,” Steve said about the moment the adoption became official.
‘Obviously we knew that, but when I looked up and saw all those eyes, it was very emotional,’ he continued. ‘We never imagined we’d be lucky enough or blessed enough to have six.’
Steve and Rob have two older sons from previous marriages, and they decided they were not done with being parents
Special T-shirts that read ‘Anderson-McLean Established 2019’ were created for the exciting moment at the court house.
The family of eight then took a picture together after the adoption was finalized, with each person wearing a T-shirt while posing with a sign that said the children were in foster care for 1,640 days before finding a permanent home with Steve and Rob.
‘I’d say our kids have brought a great kind of crazy to our lives,’ Rod told GMA. ‘It’s heartwarming and so exciting to see how they connect with us and our extended family and friends.’
The siblings have had a difficult childhood prior to the adoption, as they experienced neglect and abuse from their birth parents.
In 2017, the birth rights were officially terminated. This allowed the option for the children to finally move out of foster care and hopefully get adopted into a family.
The children were then matched with Steve and Rob in 2018 and have been with the family ever since.
‘We’ve known them for less than a year, but at the same time, it feels as if our emotional bonds were years in the making,’ Rob said. ‘There are no rules as to what can constitute a family, and the love that we share.’