Anthony Brown: My Son Jonathan

By Lt. Governor Anthony Brown

I became an adoptive parent 12 years ago when we brought my son, Jonathan, into our family. As we considered expanding our family through adoption, I had an overwhelming sense of the tremendous thing we were doing for this child. But upon bringing Jonathan home, we quickly learned the truth—that we were the recipients of a gift that continues to change and enrich our life every single day in ways we couldn’t possibly imagine.

The most important factor in a child’s life is a stable, loving home in which he or she can laugh, learn and thrive. That’s why Governor O’Malley and I have made improving outcomes for children who need permanent homes a priority. Since the launch of our Place Matters initiative, almost 3,200 children have found permanent homes through adoption, guardianship or reunification with family, and we’ve reduced the number of children in foster care by 35 percent.

Although we’ve seen significant progress, there is still much work to be done. It is my hope that by sharing Jonathan’s story, other families will come to know the gift of adoption.

In honor of National Adoption Month, I’m excited to announce that I’ll be hosting a Twitter Chat this Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 2 p.m. We’ll be answering questions and providing information on various topics related to adoption. I’m also hoping the conversation will inspire other families to share their own experiences. Please help spread the word and join in the conversation using the hashtag #LGBrownChat.

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