Barry Farmer was just a toddler when he and his three sisters went into “kinship care,”. It’s basically foster care where relatives or friends take care of someone’s children when their own parents can’t.

He may not have had his mom and dad around growing up but Barry used his upbringing to become a better man. He’s now a dad to three boys.

Barry grew up moving from house to house, living with people his parents knew. It was still better than being on the streets, and even though it may have been difficult, he pressed on.

Barry even lived with his aunt for a while before moving into a foster home.

He was only four when he first met his grandmother. She took him in and it was in that neighborhood that Barry made good friends. He went to school and began to blend in with the community.

Barry received wonderful support from all his friends and with his grandmother caring for him, he grew up to become a really good man.

Barry was twenty when he spotted an ad about becoming a foster parent. He decided to apply. The director of programs granted him his foster parent license even though she was initially surprised at just how young he was.

It took a whole year before Barry met his first kid.

A sixteen-year-old boy moved into his home in Richmond, Virginia. After only six months, the boy moved out. Then a seven-year-old named Jaxon came.

The biggest surprise to Barry and the agency was that Jaxon was white.

“This child, in my head, is Black,” he recalled. “When I got there, he was just the whitest white child that I ever worked with … I thought, ‘Wow this is going to be interesting.’ Because I have no clue what I am doing.”

Barry had never worked with white children before.

Jaxon never gave Barry any problems though.

“He was so loving and caring,” he said. “He just wanted some hugs and to call me dad.”

Barry and Jaxon were so close that when Jaxon moved out to be with his adoptive family, he eventually came back to Barry.

Social workers never had a problem with the adoption. Barry may have been young but his home met all the requirements needed for adoption. Jaxon would be well provided for.

Jaxon only wanted a brother.

Barry had no plans of adopting another child but since it was Jaxon who asked. Barry said he would think about it.

He saw a website of foster kids who needed a family. This is where Barry found eight-year-old Xavier. The boy moved in and when Xavier turned eleven, Barry adopted him.

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Barry’s family continued to grow. Four-year-old Jeremiah joined Barry and his boys. Jaxon and Xavier welcomed their new brother and when Jeremiah turned five, Barry adopted him.

“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.”

Says Barry.

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It’s pretty much what a group of guys would do with lots of time together. They go on road trips, amusement parks, discover new places, and hang out at the beach. Fun stuff!

Barry hopes other people would consider adopting. He’s had an amazing journey and he chose to become a better person. He still does day by day.

Check out Barry’s story below!

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Source: YouTube, Barry Farmer