Natasha and Sheldon
You Gotta Believe: Family Stories Natasha and Sheldon When Natasha and Sheldon came to YGB, they already had three children and a desire to provide
Hayward Family
The Hayward Family Mark and Nicole Hayward had been married for 15 years when they became parents for the first time through adoption from foster
The Farley Family
The Farley Family Diane and Tim came to You Gotta Believe in 2017. They had been married for about 13 years when they decided to open
Carlos and His Dads
Josh and Skylar welcomed their new son Carlos to their family in 2019. The three have nonstop fun together, and Carlos is keeping them very busy!
Jack and Julie
When Julie and Jack met, she was principal at his school and he was bouncing around homes. They became family just before Mothers’ Day in 2019. Julie was adopted as a baby– she is proud to carry on the family tradition of adoption. With Julie, Jack gains a large extended family, tons of friends, and a support network that is deep and strong.
The Toles Family
Longtime YGB Parent and Spokesperson, Joe Toles, is the proud father of seven sons! Joe Toles grew up in foster care and aged out of the system when he was 21 years old. Since then, he’s opened his heart and home to kids who would otherwise age out. He believes his role as a father is to make sure each of his sons have the tools they need to thrive.
The Bryant Family
In May 2015, Aleisha Braide-Bryant and her husband Anthony Bryant went from having just one child living under their roof — her biological teenage son, Mekhi — to six.
The Cox-Okawa Family
In July 2018, Jim and Ken achieved their dream family by adopting these two beautiful siblings together. The adoption was finalized with a judge via Skype — a modern family indeed!
The Wright Family
When Joanne and Christopher Wright met Ryan, they immediately knew he was the child they wanted to bring into their family. They were only at the beginning of their parenting journey, and they were not yet licensed, foster parents.
A Thanksgiving Story: Jef and Guy
Jeff and Guy met at a residential treatment center for young men. Jeff was living in one of the cottages, and Guy worked on staff.
Meet the Jacksons
“Making a lifetime commitment to a teen isn’t something we decided, it was something that we just did,” reflects Chester Jackson, an adoptive father of
The Toles Family: A Story Of Adoption
Meet the Toles family of Xavier, adopted at 18, Ronnie, adopted at 14 and John, adopted at age 17, by Joe Toles, dad.
Adoption At Age 20: Nefertiti’s Story
Nefertiti’s biological mother suffered from drug addiction. Nefertiti spent the first three months of her life in the hospital and was exposed to effects of her mother’s drug use until the age of 8.
A Family Man: Alex Lonzo’s Story
Alex Lonzot is a family man. Nothing is more important to the 23-year-old than his wife Caroline and their 1-year-old baby girl, Harmony Marie Lonzot.
Meet Denise and Her Kids
Denise Royal was single and looking for the right person to start a traditional kind of family, when she saw a Wednesday’s Child segment in 2001 She watched the teenager featured, and thought, ‘I have an extra room.
Meet Paul and His Family
‘I knew a young man who needed a family.’ For Paul Snellgrove, it was almost that simple.
Anni’s Story
In my case, good parenting made a difference, my mom’s sexual preference did not.
Meet Arelis and Mary
‘I guess it was never really ‘home’ because we were always moving around in shelters.’ reflects Arelis.