“I feel like our family is complete.”

“I cannot comprehend being that age and feeling like you don’t have a single adult you can depend on.” – Brian Kennedy 

Photo by Brandi Walker Photography

In 2009, Brian and Jake Kennedy made plans of starting a family, but as a gay couple, they had doubts about whether it could happen. When they attended an adoption fair, they felt the sting of discrimination from some who believed they shouldn’t be raising children. 

But while there, they met a foster care and adoption liaison from St. Joe’s who renewed their faith. Shortly thereafter, the couple began the foster to adopt process and seven weeks into taking their parenting classes, they met 10-year-old Anthony who they adopted in 2011.The following year, they adopted 7-year-old Sheadyn. The couple, who had begun fostering Gabby at six months old, adopted her in 2017. “She has dimples that just melt my heart,” he says.  

Although they were excited about the new family they created, Brian says he had some anxiety about parenthood. “Taking care of another human being that is fully dependent on us is nerve-wracking. I had put pressure on myself, because I do think there were a lot of people who thought Jake and I couldn’t do it,” he says. Their sons, who are now in college, struggled with ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, abandonment, and the trauma of an unstable living situation, but Brian and Jake were in it for the long haul. “We made the commitment to each other that if we are going to foster, then we are going to adopt. We are not going to give up on them, because this is what has happened [to them] over and over again,” he says. 

In the challenging moments of parenting, the couple says they sought guidance from support groups and scheduled monthly date nights. “We met Clarice, a foster parent who is the Godmother of our kids. She did a lot of respite for us and helped us get through some of those tough issues,” he says. 

Establishing family traditions also has been instrumental in bringing them closer together. “We sit down for dinner every night, which makes a huge difference. Before the boys left for college, we had game night and a family meeting night every Sunday. For the meeting, each of us picked one positive and negative thing to discuss,” he says. Being parents, they say, has taught them about the importance of patience and selflessness, but the biggest reward is in having a family to call their own. “I feel like our family is complete,” Brian says. 

P.S. Being a supportive presence for our St. Joe’s kids is what they need to be successful in every part of their life. Learn about the process of becoming certified as a foster parent or respite provider by attending our informational meetings held the first Tuesday of every month at 5:45 p.m. on the St. Joe’s campus. RSVP is required for the meetings. Send an email to Lisa Barber-Atwell at info@sjkids.org and put “FC Info Session” in the subject line to hold your spot. For questions or concerns, email info@sjkids.org or call (502) 893-0241. Virtual options are also available. Email us to schedule a time.