"I finally have a real family," said one of the brothers

Gay Dads Adopt 6 Siblings, Ages 7 to 14, After They Spent Half a Decade in Foster Care

For Pittsburgh couple Steve and Rob Anderson-McLean, adopting six siblings together was something they just knew they needed to do.

After six brothers and sisters spent five years in foster care, the Anderson-McLeans were finally able to give the children their forever home. The couple, who have been together for almost two decades, made the decision official in Judge Joseph K. Williams’ Pittsburgh courtroom on May 23, according to Today.

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Steve and Rob were already parents to Steve’s sons Parker, 25, and Noah, 21, from a previous marriage, Today reported. Then they learned about the siblings in 2018.

“We saw their picture and fell in love,” said Rob, 47. “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, 14, Guadalupe, 13, Maria, 12, Selena, 10, Nasa, 9, and Max, 7, came to live with the couple in July 2018.

“After the first week they were asking if they could stay forever,” Steve, 48, told the outlet. “We took them to the park and to the zoo. We played in the yard.”

“That was all new to them,” he added. “Having fun was new to them.”

Image zoom Steve Anderson-McLean and Rob Anderson-McLean Courtesy Anderson-McLean Family

Image zoom The Anderson-McLean family Courtesy Anderson-McLean Family

Following the adoption, the kids felt a “huge sense of relief,” Steve explained.

“They had been let down by adults so many times in their life, and were nervous it wasn’t going to happen,” he told Today.

While Steve and Rob were initially worried about how Carlos, a teenager, would adjust to life with same-sex parents, they were in for a pleasant surprise.

“We thought with Carlos being a teen, he might have a hard time, but it has not bothered him one bit,” Steve said.

Image zoom The Anderson-McLean family

Reflecting on the happy family’s new life together, Rob told Today, “We feel so lucky.”

“The other night, Max, our 7-year-old, looks at me and goes, ‘I’m adopted,’ ” said Steve. “I nodded and he said, ‘You can’t get unadopted right?’ And I had to reassure him that he will always be our son.”