Barry Farmer grew up in foster care. It was actually Kinship Care, which meant a relative would watch over him. And, in Barry’s case, that was his grandmother.
She became his legal guardian and she took care of him, and as he grew, he became responsible for himself. And he also learned how to take care of his grandmother.
When Barry was 21, he wanted to do something that meant a lot to him because of the way he was raised. He applied for a foster license so he could take children in. He did this for a couple of reasons. He knew what it was like to feel alone and he didn’t want others to feel that way. But he also did it in honor of his grandmother.
Says Barry: “Becoming a foster parent was like a tribute to my grandmother because I could never pay her back, but I was definitely able to pay it forward.”
Soon after applying for the license, Barry became the foster parent of an 8-year-old boy named Jaxon. The plans were that Jaxon would someday reunite with his parents. But when that time came, Jaxon wanted to stay with Barry. And Barry was shocked. He’s an African American and Jaxon was a caucasian.
He was extremely touched that a child of a different race than his own would want to stay with him… and comfortable enough to call him Dad.
A couple of years later, Barry adopted Xavier, giving Jaxon a younger brother. And a year after that, he adopted Jeremiah, who was 4. All the boys and even Barry are now growing their hair long and plan to donate it at some point to cancer organizations.
Says Barry: “Fatherhood has been everything I imagined it to be because I’m the father I wish I had growing up. I’m involved, I’m there when my boys go to sleep and when they wake up. I’m their biggest cheerleader when helping them achieve their goals. I try not to miss a beat in their lives. I take the responsibility of being their father very seriously and never for granted.”
We are sure you enjoyed the above story… watch for more: https://youtu.be/oBtPP0_pwIE?t=324
