He wanted them to grow up knowing that their brothers and sisters were not somewhere else.
And he wanted to make sure that the children would not have to experience the same kind of prolonged sibling separation that had marked his own childhood.
“I knew, OK, I have to adopt all five,” Carter said in comments reported by FOX19. https://www.fox19.com
It was an extraordinary decision.
Adopting one child changes a person's life.
Adopting five siblings at once required Carter to reorganize virtually every part of his life.
Why Keeping Siblings Together Matters
Carter's decision was deeply personal, but it also reflects a broader issue within the American foster-care system.
Sibling relationships can be especially important for children who are removed from their homes.
The federal Child Welfare Information Gateway explains that brothers and sisters can provide continuity, emotional support and a familiar relationship during periods of major disruption. Research summarized by the organization has found that separating siblings can make adjustment to a new home more difficult, while maintaining sibling connections can serve as a protective factor for children's well-being. Child Welfare Information Gateway
The same federal resource notes that siblings can remain an important source of support even after leaving foster care. For children who have already lost the stability of their original household, a brother or sister can represent one of the few relationships that remains connected to their earlier life. Child Welfare Information Gateway
Federal child-welfare guidance also recognizes the importance of sibling connections. When siblings cannot be placed together, states are expected to make efforts to maintain frequent visits or other ongoing contact when appropriate. Child Welfare Information Gateway
That does not mean that every sibling group can always live under the same roof.
Large sibling groups can be difficult to place together because of the number of children involved, their individual needs, available foster homes and other safety or case considerations. Federal reviews have found that siblings in foster care are not always placed together, and that maintaining meaningful contact when they are separated can also be challenging. CFSR Information Portal
This context helps explain why Carter's decision was significant.
He was not simply offering a home to five unrelated children.
He was taking responsibility for preserving an existing family relationship.
The Decision to Adopt All Five
Carter had already demonstrated his willingness to foster children.
But adopting five siblings permanently was another level of commitment.
According to ABC News, Stacey Barton, an adoption worker with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, said Carter was the only foster parent willing and able to adopt all five children. She also connected his personal history to his determination to keep the siblings together. ABC News
Carter understood that becoming the father of five children would make his life louder, busier and more complicated.
But he did not see that as a reason to turn away.
He saw it as an opportunity.
The children needed someone who could provide a permanent home, and Carter believed he could do it.
He also worked toward creating the physical space necessary for five children to live with him. Local reporting said he worked to obtain a larger home so that the adoption could become possible. KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco
His decision was ultimately about more than providing beds, food and school supplies.
It was about permanence.
The children had already experienced the uncertainty of being moved between homes. Carter wanted to give them something they could count on.
A father.
A home.
And, perhaps most importantly, one another.
October 30, 2020
The decision became official on October 30, 2020.
That day, Carter adopted the five siblings: Marionna, 10; Robert, 9; Makayla, 8; Giovanni, 5; and Kiontae, 4. ABC News
The adoption took place during Hamilton County's Adoption Day.
Local news coverage described Carter as officially becoming a father of five. For him, the significance went far beyond the legal paperwork.