Now I Am Known

I can’t believe my little boy is 20 years old today. Honestly, where did the time go?

Today I’ve been sitting here emotional, thinking back on the night Anthony first came to me at just 11 years old. I still remember introducing myself and telling him, “You can call me Mister Peter.” Without hesitation, the very first thing he asked me was, “Can I call you dad?” That moment changed my life forever.

From that day on, we connected instantly. What started as two people trying to figure each other out turned into one of the greatest blessings I could have ever asked for. Watching Anthony grow from that little 11-year-old boy into the young man he is today has been one of the biggest honors of my life.

One thing that touches me deeply is how incredible you are with the kids, especially the foster placements we welcome into our home. You make them feel safe, loved, and accepted in ways that can’t even be put into words. You have such a gentle and compassionate soul, and I hope you never lose that.

People always say blood makes a family, but I’ve learned that love is what truly makes someone your child. You may not have come into my life from the very beginning, but I thank God every single day that you came into it when you did. You became my son in every way that matters.

Seeing you turn 20 today fills my heart with so much pride and emotion. I wish I could slow time down because it feels like yesterday you were that little boy asking if you could call me dad. Now here you are, grown up!

No matter how old you get, you will always be my boy. I will always be here cheering you on, supporting you, and loving you unconditionally.

Happy 20th Birthday, Anthony. I love you so much, son. ❤️

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 22,720

Now I Am Known

I get that question a lot, sometimes with curiosity, sometimes with admiration, and sometimes with confusion: “Why so many kids?”

The honest answer is, I never set out with a number in mind. I didn’t plan a certain size of family or a specific path. I just made a decision to show up to say yes when a child needed a home, and to keep saying yes when it felt right, even when it wasn’t easy.

Part of that comes from where I started. I was once a kid on the streets of Uganda, just trying to get through each day. I knew what it felt like to be unseen, to wonder if anyone cared what happened next. And then a stranger stepped in and changed my life. They didn’t have to but they did. That kind of love doesn’t leave you.

It stays with you. It changes how you see people, and what you believe is possible.

So when children came into my life through foster care and adoption, it was never about adding “another.” It was always about this child, their story, their need, their chance at stability and belonging. Love doesn’t divide itself like a pie. It grows. It stretches in ways I didn’t think possible.

That doesn’t mean it’s easy. A bigger family is louder, busier, and sometimes overwhelming. But it’s also full of life, more laughter, more healing, more moments where I see my kids becoming family to each other in ways I never had to teach them.

So when people ask, “Why so many?” I think what they’re really asking is how I knew I had enough to give.

The truth is, I didn’t always know. I just knew what it felt like to be the kid who needed someone to step in and what it meant when someone finally did.

So the real question has never been why so many kids?

It’s been why not make room for one more?

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3 weeks ago | [YT] | 12,475

Now I Am Known

Welcome Elijah Mutabazi… ❤️

Today marks 395 days since he first came into my life. Before that, he had already spent 1,640 days in foster care, a long and unimaginable journey of waiting, moving, and hoping for the place he could finally call home…

Today is that day. What an incredible journey it has been. In ways we never could have imagined, he has transformed our family, filling it with more love, laughter, and purpose than we knew was possible.

From the very beginning, there was something special. The bond he formed so naturally with Isabella and Luke felt instant, like it had always been there. Watching him build such a genuine connection with them has been nothing short of beautiful. And the friendships he quickly created with Zay and Anthony showed us just how deeply he belongs not just in our home, but in our community.

Every step along the way has felt guided, like this path was always meant to lead us here.

And today, everything comes full circle.

Today is Day 1 of a new chapter, as Jacob officially becomes Elijah Mutabazi. A name that represents not just a change, but a promise of love, of stability, of forever. Being adopted is more than a milestone; it’s the beginning of a lifetime of belonging, security, and unconditional love.

We are so grateful for these past 395 days, for every moment that led us here, and for the many memories still to come. This is only the beginning.

Please help us welcome Elijah. Here’s to forever. ❤️

#fostercare #adoption #family

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1 month ago | [YT] | 26,143

Now I Am Known

Thank you Ebie Hepworth for the opportunity to talk about my journey from Uganda to a foster dad, and learning what it means to do so with the help of God's grace and guidance. Check it out in the link below and let me know what you think.

2 months ago | [YT] | 66

Now I Am Known

Love is a promise you keep especially for a child who’s only experienced broken ones.
It’s choosing to show up, over and over again, no matter how hard the day has been.

That’s what foster parents do. They step into the gap for children who have known more loss than security and show them that family isn’t about blood - it’s about commitment. It’s the quiet, daily decision to stay. It’s late-night conversations, patient reassurance, and creating space for healing when trust feels fragile. Fostering isn’t easy, but when you lead with love, even the hardest days carry purpose.

When I was growing up on the streets of Uganda, one stranger chose to love me that way. They didn’t have to. There was no obligation tying them to me. But they stayed consistent. They kept checking in. They kept believing in me. Their steady presence gave me hope and eventually the opportunity to build a new life. That kind of love changed my story forever.

Unconditional love means standing firm through fear, anger, and uncertainty. It means understanding that trust is built slowly and healing rarely follows a straight line. It’s celebrating the small wins the first genuine smile, the soft “thank you,” the moment a child finally exhales because they feel safe. Foster parents don’t just provide care; they become anchors. They help children move from survival mode to stability.

To every foster parent who chooses patience over frustration, courage over comfort, and love over fear: you are shaping lives in ways you may never fully witness. The consistency you give today becomes the foundation they stand on tomorrow. Your presence echoes far beyond your home.

Your steady love is living proof that healing is real and that every child deserves to be seen, chosen, and never left behind.

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2 months ago | [YT] | 15,657

Now I Am Known

Black History Month looks a little different in my house.
As an Ugandan single dad, I never take it for granted that life brought me to the United States or that I’ve been given the opportunity to foster and raise Black children here. That’s something I’m deeply grateful for every single day.

Over the years, different kids have come through my home. Different personalities, different stories, different needs. But one thing they all share is strength. I’ve watched them adjust, grow, open up, and start believing in themselves again. That’s been one of the greatest privileges of my life.

This month is about celebrating who they are not just what they’ve been through.
I celebrate their confidence when it starts to build.
I celebrate their culture  whether it connects back to Africa, America, or both.
I celebrate their voices, their humor, their style, their dreams.
I celebrate the way they show up as themselves.
Being a foster dad isn’t always easy, but it’s always meaningful. And being able to do it as a Black man - as an African man - in a country that gave me the chance to build this life… that means something to me.

To every child I’ve had the honor to foster:
I’m proud of you.
I’m rooting for you.
And I hope you always remember that your story matters.
Happy Black History Month. 🖤

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2 months ago | [YT] | 6,247

Now I Am Known

BIG NEWS  and my heart is FULL. ❤️ Thank you @fosterlove for sharing this news!

New York has officially banned trash bags for kids entering foster care… and I can’t even put into words what this means to me.
For years, I’ve watched children show up on my doorstep carrying their entire world in a garbage bag. Everything they own: clothes, photos, school papers, sometimes a stuffed animal tossed into something meant for trash.
And whether anyone intends it or not, the message it sends is loud: your life fits in something disposable.

I’ve fostered over 45 children so far… and about 90% of them arrived with their belongings in trash bags. Ninety percent. Let that sink in.

I remember one little boy who tried to joke about it when he walked in… but later that night he asked me where he should “throw his stuff away.” That moment broke something in me. Because these kids aren’t trash. Their stories aren’t trash. Their futures are NOT trash.

So seeing New York take this step making sure children enter care with dignity, with proper luggage, with something that says you matter feels like a victory not just in policy, but in humanity.

Today I’m celebrating this win. I’m celebrating every advocate, every foster parent, every former foster youth who spoke up and pushed for change. But we’re not done yet. Now the goal is bigger:
All 50 states. Every child. No exceptions.

Because dignity shouldn’t depend on your zip code.

Until the day no child in America has to carry their life in a trash bag… I’ll keep fostering, keep speaking up, and keep fighting for them like they’re my own.

These kids have already lost enough.
The least we can do is make sure they never feel thrown away again.

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2 months ago | [YT] | 7,498

Now I Am Known

When I first became a foster dad, I honestly wasn’t prepared for how hard it would hit me.
The challenges were bigger than anything I imagined. I had quit my career, flipped my whole life upside down, and stepped into something completely unfamiliar. And not long after, the doubts started creeping in heavy, relentless doubts.

Was I really cut out for this?
Was I ready to be someone’s provider?
Was I strong enough to carry what this role required?

Some days, the fear was so overwhelming that I thought about calling the social worker and walking away. Going back to the life I knew. The life that felt safe and comfortable.

And then came the guilt. What kind of person even thinks that? What kind of parent considers giving up? But I’ve learned something important since then: A lot of us do. Those moments of absolute doubt are more common than we talk about.

Becoming a foster parent isn’t something small or temporary. You are becoming a caregiver, a protector, a role model to a child who desperately needs one.

And when it’s your first time parenting, it’s so easy to get trapped in this idea of what parenting is supposed to look like. We picture something beautiful and meaningful and it is but we don’t always picture how messy, unpredictable, and emotionally exhausting it can be.

The sooner I let go of the fantasy, the sooner I began to understand the truth:

Parenting is hard.
Fostering is hard.
And it’s still worth it.

I’ve learned that sometimes the best thing I can do is pause… breathe… and remind myself: I can figure this out. There isn’t one perfect solution. Every child is different. Every story is different. And every homecoming is different.

But if we keep showing up. If we keep choosing them, again and again… we find a way forward.

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2 months ago | [YT] | 7,807

Now I Am Known

When survival is all you’ve ever known, dreaming can feel dangerous.

When Zay first came into my life, he came in survival mode. His walls were up, and almost immediately he began listing every bad thing he’d ever done like his past was a warning. Like he needed to say it all before I could decide whether to stay.

But none of it scared me away. I didn’t care about his past, I cared about him. I wanted him to know I wasn’t leaving.

Zay had been through more than he ever should have, and trauma had taught him to stay guarded and expect disappointment. For a long time, the focus wasn’t the future - it was just getting through the day. Dreaming felt unsafe.

Healing came slowly, through consistency and learning that he didn’t have to lead with his worst moments to be worthy of care. Little by little, survival loosened its grip.

Today, Zay is a remarkable young man. He has his own apartment. He shows up for himself. He beat the statistics that were supposed to define him not because his past disappeared, but because it didn’t get the final say.

His journey is proof of what can happen when someone is met with safety, belief, and unconditional love. Sometimes, all it takes to change a life is one person who stays.

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4 months ago | [YT] | 8,244

Now I Am Known

This wasn’t easy to say out loud, but it’s real. Parenting doesn’t suddenly get easier when your kids become adults—in many ways, it hurts more. There are days I replay everything, wondering if I failed, if I did too much, or not enough, if I missed something that mattered. Loving adult children means watching them make choices you can’t fix, can’t protect them from, can’t legally step into anymore. And that helplessness can feel crushing. I shared this because I know I’m not the only parent carrying this quiet weight, especially those of us raising kids who’ve already lived through so much. Thank you to People for letting me speak honestly about a part of parenting we don’t talk about enough.


people.com/foster-dad-peter-mutabazi-breaks-down-s…

4 months ago | [YT] | 6,019