In 2019 Rob and Steve Anderson-McClean looked to adoption so that they could live out their dream of raising children. Most people think of adopting one, or maybe two at a push, but for Rob and Steve, two wasn’t enough. They ended up adopting six children, all brothers and sisters that had been in foster care for five years.
Steve and Rob Anderson-McClean
Rob and Steve live in Pitsburg. They have been married since 2013, and have been together for 18 years. Steve was married before Rob, where he had children of his own, Noah and Parker, they are 21 and 25 years old respectively. Both Steve and Rob split the parenting duties with the kids, although they have grown up now. The couple was determined they had not finished being parents, regardless of their children’s independence. Eventually, they came to the conclusion that they wanted to adopt.
They wanted to know what they were getting themselves into, so they started doing some research on the adoption process. They discovered that siblings were more than often separated. Rob and Steve are compassionate people and they thought how hard that must be for the children. Their research led them to find the six brothers and sisters. They were saddened by the fact that they had been neglected, and had remained in foster care for over five years.
Read: ‘I Can’t Believe I Actually Found You!’: Birth Mom Reunites with Son after 33 Years of Separation
Six brothers and sisters, Adopted!
They came across a picture of the six siblings first. In an interview with TODAY parents, Rob mentioned that as soon as: “We saw their picture and fell in love.” They decided to adopt the six children, knowing they could shower them with love and improve their circumstances drastically. Rob said: “So many sibling groups are broken up because people just want to adopt the younger children. Steve and I knew these guys needed to be together.”
Carlos is the oldest child, he is 14years old. The second oldest is Guadalupe, who is 13. Next in line, we have Maria who is 12 years old, and Selena is 10. Nasa is nine years old, and lastly, Max is 7. They were officially adopted in 2018. When the judge passed the adoption approval, he spoke to Rob and Steve to make sure they understood. Rob recalled the conversation.
“The judge asked, ‘Do you understand at this point forward they are your children? They are just as much as your biological children.’ Obviously, we knew that, but when I looked up and saw all those eyes, it was very emotional. We never imagined we’d be lucky enough or blessed enough to have six.”
The new parents were elated that the adoption had been approved, but the siblings couldn’t have been happier. They went on fun excursions in the first week, like a trip to the zoo, and playing in the park. Steve said: “We took them to the park and to the zoo. We played in the yard. That was all new to them. Having fun was new to them.”
Read: No, Our Family Doesn’t ‘Match’ But Thanks to Adoption, It’s Filled With Love
Everyone Adjusted Well
At first, Rob and Steve were a little apprehensive over the oldest sibling, Carlos. Being a teenager, they predicted some defiance or some adjustment issues, like struggling with having parents of the same sex. Thankfully for Rob and Steve, he did not seem bothered at all. “We thought with Carlos being a teen, he might have a hard time. But it has not bothered him one bit,” said Steve.
Each one of the children is pleased to have a family that will be there forever. Some of them had their concerns, like little Max. Steve remembers one night when Max said to him: “I’m adopted.” Steve told him he sure was adopted. Max then asked: ‘You can’t get unadopted right?’ Steve had to reassure him that they were there to stay, and he will be their son forever.
There is shared happiness in the house of this now large family. After the reality of their situation sunk in, Carlos told Rob and Steve one day: “I’m not a foster kid anymore. I don’t have to carry that title around. I finally have a real family.”
2022 Update!
The Anderson-McClean family is still going strong after 3 years!
“It’s been almost three years,” Anderson-McLean wrote on Facebook Thursday [Feb 17th, 2022]. “Look how the kids have grown! Rob and I haven’t aged a bit… hahaha!
“Have a good day from the Anderson-McLean family!!”
Keep Reading: A Kindergarten Boy Invited His Entire Class to His Adoption and My Heart Is Full
Sources:
1. “Dads adopt 6 siblings who spent 5 years in foster care.” Today. Rachel paula Abrahamsan. June 15, 2019.
2. “Gay Dads Adopt 6 Siblings, Ages 7 to 14, After They Spent Half a Decade in Foster Care.” People. Georgia Slater. August 17, 2019.