Barry Farmer from Virginia is a man who grew up in foster care and eventually he was raised by his grandmother.
He wanted to protect other children from the foster care system and decides to adopt three boys by the age of 26.
As a single dad who’s raising three adopted boys, as a man, and as a black man, this is a huge achievement if we take into account all the stereotypes associated with these groups.
At an age when most of other Americans are legally drinking, Barry was focused on getting his license for foster care.
Getting His Foster Care License & Adopting First Boy
When he got the license, he fostered his first boy named Jaxon who was 8. This happened in 2011. However, the plan to care for this boy was short-term until the family was ready to take the boy back.
But, when the young boy asked Barry to be his forever daddy, Barry couldn’t say no. He felt that caring for another child was in a way a contribution to his grandma who took him through the program Kinship Care.
It allows other members from the family to take over children when the parents aren’t able to.
The Story Continues: Barry Adopts another Child
In 2013, Barry decided to give Jaxon a sibling and adopted Xavier. Only a year later, he also fostered Jeremiah. Same as he planned with Jaxon, he would return Jeremiah to his family.
But, this plan also changed and he decided to fight for the boy and try to adopt him as well.
Barry’s journey is documented on his Instagram as well as on his radio show. He claims he knows the importance of growing up with parents.
He says that fatherhood has been everything he imagined it to be as he’s the father he wish he had when he was growing up.
He’s involved and he’s there when his boys sleep and when they wake up.
Even though he believes parenting can be stressful at times and overwhelming, for him, it’s unpredictable, but satisfying.
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