Gay Dads Adopt Six Siblings in Foster Care and Become a Forever Family

Steve and Rob Anderson-McLean, a gay couple from Pennsylvania, saw their family's size more than quadruple on May 23, 2019, when they adopted six siblings in foster care to prevent them from ever being split up.

The couple, who have been together for nearly two decades, were married in 2013 and had already raised two children -- Parker and Noah -- from a previous marriage. But the two found themselves longing for a bigger family and decided to explore adoption. During their research, they discovered the heartbreaking fact that siblings are often split up within the foster care system.

"Such a staggering amount of sibling groups are broken up, and it broke our hearts," Steve told Good Morning America.

Initially, the couple thought they would adopt two or three children; however when they found six siblings on a foster care website -- Carlos, Guadalupe, Maria, Selena, Nasa, and Max -- Steve and Rob knew in their hearts they could provide the children, who'd been in the foster care for nearly half a decade and had been subjected to abuse prior to that, a better life.

"We instantly fell in love," recalled Steve.

"I'd say our kids have brought a great kind of crazy to our lives. It's heartwarming and so exciting to see how they connect with us," added Rob.

The men were paired with the children in June 2018, and the kids moved into their home the following month. The couple had an immediate connection with them, and Steve shared with Today that it didn't take long for the siblings to ask if they could stay forever.

Despite having been let down by many adults in their lives, all six kids were adopted by the couple the following year, just as promised.

Steve recounted that, on the morning of the adoption, the judge had a very poignant question for the couple: "'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," Steve told GMA. "We never imagined we'd be lucky enough or blessed enough to have six."

Watch their heartwarming interview with Today below.