My partner Sean Cavanaugh and I both came from strong families, and always wanted to have a family of our own. Longing to be parents, we completed the courses for prospective adoptive parents and waited for nearly two years before we received an email from a social worker asking them if we were interested in adopting a child from foster care. While the waiting period was long, we never lost hope.
After being in and out of foster care for nearly three years, Zaden’s life changed forever the day he met Sean and me. Although he was just six years old, Zaden had been placed in five different foster homes before he met his new dads.
Adoption has meant a lot to my family. Ultimately, adoption is about the rights of children. They deserve a chance to thrive to their full capacity, and as adults, we are charged with ensuring that chance becomes a reality.
In 2013, Zaden and I traveled to Washington, DC, where we were able to meet Congressman John Lewis and join supporters of the Every Child Deserves a Family Act, a bill that would reduce barriers for same-sex couples seeking to adopt children from foster care.
It’s been over two years since Zaden’s adoption was finalized, and we feel very fortunate to have Zaden in their lives. He is ecstatic to have found his forever home, and hopes that the children who remain in foster care will find their forever home, too.
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Thank you to Voice of Adoption for the story contribution. The Cavanaugh-McAdoo family story was originally published in Voice of Adoption’s 2013 Adoptive Family Portrait Project.