Families come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they are created through choice and paperwork instead of biology and birth. Peter Mutabazi, an experienced foster dad, is a living example of this.
This single Black dad has fostered 36 children and already adopted 17-year-old Anthony Mutabazi. On September 22, 2023, he expanded his family by adopting two more siblings, Isabella and Luke Mutabazi. This big-hearted man was happy to do so.
“It’s absolutely a joy,” Peter told People magazine. “I can be their forever home.” Peter shares his experiences as a foster dad on his Instagram account @fosterdadflipper.
Peter always wants his foster children to be reunited with their biological parents. For his adopted kids, that was not possible. “I am a foster parent that will always, always fight for the bio parent to have their kids back, that’s my passion, to help,” he stated.
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Luke and Isabella came to stay with Peter in 2020. They were ages 4 and 5, respectively, and were in the foster care system because of neglect due to parental drug use. Peter was told they would stay with him for about four months.
After eight months of living with him, Luke and Isabella’s parents stopped visiting. Peter thought a family member might step up.
"I'm a Black guy, they are white kids," he explained. "They're looking for a family member. But that never happened. No one took them in, no one claimed them."
Luke and Isabella’s parents had their parental rights terminated in April 2023. “That’s when I knew that now, I can finally be their dad,” Peter stated. It was both a happy and sad revelation.
“The kids literally have a parent they dreamt could come back for them. But they’ve just given up. It’s a loss. I felt the loss for them,” Peter shared.
Peter broke the news to them gently. “I said, 'Mom and Dad love you so much, but for now, they have decided that they don’t want to be parents,'” he recalled. “There’s a loss. They lost Mom and Dad.”
It is obvious that Peter loves his newly adopted children and all the kids in his care. He describes Luke as “kind and sweet.” Isabella is “the boss of the house.”
Peter shares his story so others can learn from it. There are so many kids who need loving homes that he is happy to provide for as many as he can.
“They’re white, I’m Black, but somehow we can still provide that normalcy and what every child needs: A family,” he mused. “I’m blessed to do it.”
