LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — The McIntyre home is full of people, pets, chaos and love.
As a family of 12, there’s always someone to turn to, according to 13-year-old Amiee McIntyre.
“There’s never a dull moment here,” Amiee said. “There’s always something going on.”
Amiee moved in on New Year’s Day 2021. She now lives in Leavenworth with her brother and seven adopted siblings.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' most recent numbers report about 2,500 kids in Kansas are waiting to be adopted.
Kat and Lucy McIntyre became foster parents five years ago. They later brought in Kat’s mother as a nanny, rounding out their family to a dozen people under one roof.
“Kat said when some of them came, like, well, they never have to leave,” Lucy said. “Sometimes you just know that it’s a good fit.”
Their home is now permanently full of three sets of siblings, and they are considering adding another child who is related to their youngest.
“We said that when we were going to be parents ... we would do it 100%, so that means that if all nine want to play soccer, we’re going to all nine soccer practices," Kat said. "We are not going to decrease the quality of their life just because we have a larger quantity. All of the financial stuff and the size of the house even, we are running out of space. That all comes last.”
Instead, the main focus is on keeping the kids happy and the siblings together.
“It’s nice knowing that somebody I’ve been with my whole life, his whole life, is here with me,” Amiee said. “But it’s kind of hard getting used to being just his sister because when we lived with our biological mom, I kind of took care of him.”
Siblings who stay together in foster care have higher rates of reunification, adoption and guardianship, per a 2019 bulletin from the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“Honestly, siblings are the longest connection they will have in their life,” Kat said.
Lucy, who has a background as a social worker, saw firsthand the impact a sibling connection can have.
“Sometimes they may not realize how important they are to each other,” Lucy said.
As Amiee and her siblings enter five separate schools this fall, their connection runs deeper than biology.
“I feel like I have people I know I can count on,” she said. “People who I know I can talk to without being judged.”
—
