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The Uno-Peake Family: Celebrating Choosing Day
In the Uno-Peake home, holidays and celebrations include more than birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July and religious rituals. This unique family created their own one-of-a-kind tradition by celebrating one of the most important days of all: Choosing Day.
What is Choosing Day? It’s the day their sons, Javier (age 12) and Nicholas (age 10), chose to be adopted into the family (December 22 and June 1, respectively). Little sister Melany is yet too young to have voiced a choice, although Derek (Daddy) and Ted (Dad) take her constant laughter as a good sign. For Dad and Daddy, their Choosing Day is the day Derek proposed to Ted, almost 10 years ago.
Derek explains, “We created the Choosing Day celebration and ritual so that our children will understand that they have control over their lives and that their voice matters in our family. On each Choosing Day, we retell the story of how we came into the family. We teach our kids that each one of us is special and that what makes our family is our bond of love and caring.”
Ted adds, “On each child’s Choosing Day, we recognize that while we are bound together in many ways, we choose how to interact every day. During the celebration we try to make the person feel special and cared for - just like we felt when they chose to be part of the Uno-Peake family.”
What kind of treats and sweets are served to mark the celebration? Naturally, the Choosing Day child gets to choose that too.
The Offord Family
“I don’t think people look at me as the woman who adopted the little girl, they just look at Lydia and myself as a family,” says Pauline Offord, proud single parent.
Pauline first saw Lydia in 1992 when she appeared in a Brian’s Kids segment. “The little girl with eyeglasses and a squealing voice, Lydia, tugged at my heart,” says Pauline. “I heard myself say, ‘That’s it. I want you.’”
“Adoption is something I’d thought about for years, off and on since my 30’s,” says Pauline. “I never pursued it because I wasn’t married, didn’t have my own home, and I didn’t think I made enough money. But when I saw Lydia, I knew I had to make that call.” Soon after Lydia’s segment aired, Pauline got in touch with her county’s Department of Social Services. After months of first visiting Lydia in her foster home and then having her for weekend stays, Offord brought Lydia home for good. A little more than a year later, Pauline adopted five-year-old Lydia.
Although Pauline is a single mother, they are doing fine. “I’d say I was darn lucky,” says Pauline. “Everything has worked out even better than I hoped.”
The Symons-Rogers Family
“It’s been great to take a chance … a leap of faith,” says Johnny Symons, who with his partner, William Rogers, adopted a little boy. Zachary loves soccer and basketball, and he just learned how to ride a bicycle.
Johnny and William wanted a child, but did not realize they could adopt until one of their friends did through San Francisco County. “A lot of gay people don’t know it’s possible to adopt,” says Johnny. “It takes awareness.”
His documentary film Daddy and Papa tells the stories of four different gay male families, including his. It is a testament to their commitment to educate people on gay adoption and to their dedication to helping kids in need. “We shouldn’t write off kids we have fears about,” he says. “It’s amazing to see the power of kids … they transcend tough beginnings and turn into incredible human beings.”
They are currently foster parents to Zachary’s little brother, and the adoption should be finalized in a few months. Johnny says, “Being fathers has deepened our relationship and made us very happy.”
For more information about Johnny’s film, visit www.daddyandpapa.com.
The Cleberg Family
“It is the hardest thing we have ever done, but it is also the most rewarding,” says Kathy Cleberg. Kathy and her husband Joe have been foster parents for seven years. They have taken in twenty children over the years, most of whom have special needs. In addition to being foster parents, they have adopted two children.
As a nurse, Kathy became aware of the important role that foster parents play. “What are we supposed to do with children that can’t be taken care of by their parents?” Kathy asked. “What we can do is make an impact on one child’s life at a time.”
Kathy and Joe’s four biological children have been involved in raising their foster and adoptive children. Their biological children have grown as a result. After seeing that foster kids have to carry their belongings in plastic bags, one daughter started a non-profit program called Suitcases for Kids in which she collects suitcases and backpacks and distributes them to foster children in Contra Costa and Alameda counties. So far, over 2,000 suitcases have been distributed to kids in need.
“There is no difference between an adopted child and a birth child,” says Joe Cleberg. “They are your children and love is all the same.”
Meet Families
Our Families
The Uno-Peake Family: Celebrating Choosing Day
In the Uno-Peake home, holidays and celebrations include more than birthdays, Christmas, Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July and religious rituals. This unique family created their own one-of-a-kind tradition by celebrating one of the most important days of all: Choosing Day.
What is Choosing Day? It’s the day their sons, Javier (age 12) and Nicholas (age 10), chose to be adopted into the family (December 22 and June 1, respectively). Little sister Melany is yet too young to have voiced a choice, although Derek (Daddy) and Ted (Dad) take her constant laughter as a good sign. For Dad and Daddy, their Choosing Day is the day Derek proposed to Ted, almost 10 years ago.
Derek explains, “We created the Choosing Day celebration and ritual so that our children will understand that they have control over their lives and that their voice matters in our family. On each Choosing Day, we retell the story of how we came into the family. We teach our kids that each one of us is special and that what makes our family is our bond of love and caring.”
Ted adds, “On each child’s Choosing Day, we recognize that while we are bound together in many ways, we choose how to interact every day. During the celebration we try to make the person feel special and cared for - just like we felt when they chose to be part of the Uno-Peake family.”
What kind of treats and sweets are served to mark the celebration? Naturally, the Choosing Day child gets to choose that too.
The Offord Family
“I don’t think people look at me as the woman who adopted the little girl, they just look at Lydia and myself as a family,” says Pauline Offord, proud single parent.
Pauline first saw Lydia in 1992 when she appeared in a Brian’s Kids segment. “The little girl with eyeglasses and a squealing voice, Lydia, tugged at my heart,” says Pauline. “I heard myself say, ‘That’s it. I want you.’”
“Adoption is something I’d thought about for years, off and on since my 30’s,” says Pauline. “I never pursued it because I wasn’t married, didn’t have my own home, and I didn’t think I made enough money. But when I saw Lydia, I knew I had to make that call.” Soon after Lydia’s segment aired, Pauline got in touch with her county’s Department of Social Services. After months of first visiting Lydia in her foster home and then having her for weekend stays, Offord brought Lydia home for good. A little more than a year later, Pauline adopted five-year-old Lydia.
Although Pauline is a single mother, they are doing fine. “I’d say I was darn lucky,” says Pauline. “Everything has worked out even better than I hoped.”
The Symons-Rogers Family
“It’s been great to take a chance … a leap of faith,” says Johnny Symons, who with his partner, William Rogers, adopted a little boy. Zachary loves soccer and basketball, and he just learned how to ride a bicycle.
Johnny and William wanted a child, but did not realize they could adopt until one of their friends did through San Francisco County. “A lot of gay people don’t know it’s possible to adopt,” says Johnny. “It takes awareness.”
His documentary film Daddy and Papa tells the stories of four different gay male families, including his. It is a testament to their commitment to educate people on gay adoption and to their dedication to helping kids in need. “We shouldn’t write off kids we have fears about,” he says. “It’s amazing to see the power of kids … they transcend tough beginnings and turn into incredible human beings.”
They are currently foster parents to Zachary’s little brother, and the adoption should be finalized in a few months. Johnny says, “Being fathers has deepened our relationship and made us very happy.”
For more information about Johnny’s film, visit www.daddyandpapa.com.
The Cleberg Family
“It is the hardest thing we have ever done, but it is also the most rewarding,” says Kathy Cleberg. Kathy and her husband Joe have been foster parents for seven years. They have taken in twenty children over the years, most of whom have special needs. In addition to being foster parents, they have adopted two children.
As a nurse, Kathy became aware of the important role that foster parents play. “What are we supposed to do with children that can’t be taken care of by their parents?” Kathy asked. “What we can do is make an impact on one child’s life at a time.”
Kathy and Joe’s four biological children have been involved in raising their foster and adoptive children. Their biological children have grown as a result. After seeing that foster kids have to carry their belongings in plastic bags, one daughter started a non-profit program called Suitcases for Kids in which she collects suitcases and backpacks and distributes them to foster children in Contra Costa and Alameda counties. So far, over 2,000 suitcases have been distributed to kids in need.
“There is no difference between an adopted child and a birth child,” says Joe Cleberg. “They are your children and love is all the same.”
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