The Charlebois family expands the meaning of family
The more the merrier, they say.
Which makes the Charlebois household a very merry place, indeed.
Richard and Paula Charlebois have cared for 35 children through the years through foster care and adoption.
The family now includes 16 children and you might think a home with a brood this large would be chaos. But the household runs smoothly, says Jessica, a former Wednesday’s Child who was adopted at age eight.
“I love being in a big family,” Jessica says. “It’s not as crazy as people think it is. One of the best things is that we are always there for each other.
“There are a lot of us, and we all come from different lifestyles,” says Jessica, who joined the family almost 20 years ago. “What makes it so awesome is that even though we are each unique, we know deep down that we are pieces of the same big puzzle.”
Justin, another former Wednesday’s Child, was the first child the Charlebois’ adopted.
“I was 7 or 8 when they adopted me,” he says. “At the time, I wanted a mom and dad so badly. They took me in and raised me as their own. I feel they saved my life by steering me in the right direction, helping me out and being the people I could always rely on, no matter what.”
The Charlebois could serve as the poster couple for National Adoption Day, celebrated the Saturday before Thanksgiving. National Adoption Day is a national effort to raise awareness of the more than 100,000 children in foster care waiting for a forever family.
“It hasn’t been an easy or perfect journey, but we did it together,” says Paula, matriarch of the house. “It’s not about asking the kids to fit into your family, it’s about us fitting into their world and embracing them.
“You have to build relationships over time,” Paula adds. “You have to stay the course and build bricks in the foundation of the relationship. We don’t see our kids as throwaways like a lot of society does. We see them like butterflies coming out of their cocoon finding their wings. And we’re along for the journey to guide and encourage them.”