We love featuring gay dad families and their stories on our Instagram page; from becoming a dad to navigating fatherhood. Check out some of the beautiful families we’ve showcased over the past couple of weeks.
Shaun & Derek
“Parenthood instantly clicked and there’s nothing we would change.”
Shaun and Derek became dads through adoption in January this year after experiencing a couple of failed matches. But when it did finally happen, it happened quickly.
“We went from not having a child to bringing our daughter in less than 24 hours,” said Shaun. “The kicker of it all was we tested positive for Covid an hour before getting the call.”
Despite their Covid diagnosis, the husbands were able to collect their daughter and bring her home. The hardest part for the new dads was wearing mask for the first week and “not being able to kiss and love on her.”
The Dallas family love everything about fatherhood! “The cuddles, the smiles, watching each milestone occur, and knowing you are providing love to your child.”
Their advice to other dads-to-be? “Don’t let fear get to you or anything like that! It’s the most rewarding experience.”
👨👨👧 @marynandher2dads
Harvey & Kevin
British dads Harvey and Kevin live in Essex.
Their shared fatherhood journey started when they met in 2003, with a daughter from a previous straight relationship, and continued through adoption. “When we met, my daughter was 2 years old. We moved in together and began to form our home 6 months later. From there, our co-parenting journey began!”
Some years later, as their daughter grew, the dads decided to extend their family. “Our minds turned to adoption. The process, which took two years, eventually led us to our son who completed our family.”
“Our advice to others considering fatherhood is to speak to and meet other gay parents! Build your networks (for support, advice, guidance) and be sure to educate others along the way!”
These days, the dads enjoy a full, busy house. “We love having family conversations at the breakfast/dinner table, and being able to share our travel adventures with our children so that they can experience different cultures.”
“Fatherhood is a big change, but with so many rewards along the way! Consider if the time is right and that you are prepared to make sacrifices for the benefit of your family.”
👉 @gaydadstravels
Ivan & Carlos
“The wait time for adoption in Spain is between 10 and 12 years. We couldn’t wait that long to make our dream come true.”
Spanish couple Ivan and Carlos chose surrogacy as their path to fatherhood and pursued it internationally. “We recommend that you become well informed about everything, that you have several interviews with various clinics, lawyers, agencies, and that you soak up the information and resolve all of your doubts before starting the process.”
The best thing about fatherhood is “being able to see them smile every day. Seeing, day by day, how they grow, learn and evolve and that you are the most important person whom they thank with smiles, kisses and hugs. Raising them and seeing that they begin to adopt the behaviors and customs that you teach is wonderful.”
They stress that future parents above all should trust the process. “Everything comes in due time, each journey is different and you can’t compare yourself to anyone else.”
👉 @beca.dads
👉 @ivanbega
👉 @ca_pe_ca
Cameron & Ramiro
These dads met in the THIRD GRADE!
“We were best friends immediately. Never thought we would be together, but then, BOOM, at 20 years old, love hit us!”
Cameron and Ramiro always wanted a family. “We explored our options for years, but after learning more about how many children were in foster care, we decided on that route.”
The couple recognized the struggle that often comes with foster care, but they felt a calling in their hearts to help. “The stars aligned with our first placement and we immediately knew our kids were meant to be!”
“When there’s so much planning involved in a journey like foster care, it’s easy to doubt yourself. We were questioning if we were really ready, up until the day before we took our kids as a placement.”
All that doubt turned out to be just that! “Continue to be YOU unapologetically! It’s the best way to be a role model for your kids. By showing how comfortable we are in our own skin, we can already see how much it encourages our young children to be themselves.”
The family of five lives in Davenport, IA.
👉 @thekepfords
👉 @ramirokepford
👉 @cameronkepford
