A Gay Couple Raised a Family, Became Grandfathers, and Gave Hope To Over 60 Children in Need

When you foster a child, you discover a sense of love that knows no bounds. As you foster more children, your heart will keep expanding to embrace this love. Jared Prochnow and his husband, Matthew Foster, are great examples of adoptive parents who’ve already devoted most of their lives to giving kids in need more hope for a better life.

Fostering children teaches you the importance of your words and actions. So join us today at Bright Side as we walk through the story of this loving couple who changed the lives of many children and learned how wonderful it is to love someone selflessly.

How their romance started

Jared and Matthew first met in 2006 while they were both in college. They’ve been married for 5 years and together for 15. Matthew was serving as a preschool teacher for low-income families when he learned that one of his students was looking for adoptive parents for himself and his sister.

From that point forward, they began considering adopting children to crown their love for one another with the joy of starting a family. The siblings’ yearning for a family captivated Matthew and Jared, so after building a deep bond with the student, they began training to become licensed foster care parents and adopt through the foster system.

The first steps to becoming foster parents

The siblings stayed with their family, but Matthew and Jared figured it was time for them to embark on this journey. “The qualifications for a foster parent are pretty high,” Matthew explained. “Be very versatile at everything and have a lot of patience with the kids because they come from so many backgrounds that you don’t know what you’re getting into.”

However, in late 2016, Jared and Matthew adopted Ty and Ethan when they were 16 and 12 years old. Not long after that, Isaac was adopted. Isaac’s connection with them did not go as planned because he left their house in late 2021 and has not returned since.

Since then, the pair has fostered over 60 children from Fruita, Colorado, where they grew up. Matthew and Jared have found it tremendously rewarding to be able to care for so many children who require unconditional love and stability.

“We are foster parents. We serve our community and its children,” Matthew confessed. “We hope that our example serves to inspire others to serve theirs.”

Some difficulties along the way

Their successes and the family they have formed today did not come effortlessly. When the couple began the fostering process, not all of their loved ones were there to support them. At moments, they felt alone along the way and weren’t always understood by others.

“We’ve lost friends and had hard times with family relationships,” Jared explained. “It has caused us on multiple occasions to question what we are doing. But we keep coming back to the kids and their needs.”

Prejudice for being a gay couple in the foster care system has been something they had frequently dealt with. Jared reported an event in which a sibling group of 3 boys was being considered for foster care, and they expressed their interest in adopting them. Matthew voiced his displeasure at being introduced as gay parents, which he believed would never happen to straight couples.

Being a foster parent is difficult because you must learn how to deal with children and their past experiences; however, it must be an opportunity for everyone, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. What matters most is the desire and commitment to transform a child’s life and raise them in the best possible way.

A family that grows

The couple has expanded their family even more in recent years, establishing their lovely family nest. Isaiah and Josiah, their second sibling pair, were adopted in 2020. A year later, Alex and Jaxon, their next sibling pair, arrived.

On top of the delight of raising such a close family and adopting 6 children, Jared and Matthew have also become grandparents after their 22-year-old daughter, Ty, gave birth to her own baby, the lovely Ensley.

They are happy and pleased just the way they are.

Along the road, Jared and Matthew have faced many challenges, having to tackle various prejudices that still linger in some people’s minds. Despite the many obstacles they’ve encountered, their primary purpose has always been to inspire others to follow in their footsteps. “If a gay couple wants to have children, we have to go to the ends of the earth [...] Make gay dads normal!” Jared firmly stated.

After adopting 6 children and fostering over 60, the couple has now closed their foster license. They are proud of what they have achieved and now want to devote their undivided attention to their kids while they are still young. At the end of the day, love is what matters most, and, according to Jared and Matthew, “It’s really been a fantastic journey.”

What are your thoughts on the story of Jared and Matthew? Would you be willing to take on the responsibility of fostering and raising a large family like theirs?