“I will take care of my niece and nephew,” he told the authorities. “I will feed them and take them to day care. I will give them a stable home. I know them. And I love them like no one else can.”

And so he bundled up the children and drove them to his two-bedroom apartment on Culzean Drive.

McLemore is well known as one of the success stories of the Ohio Foster care community. Some of the people closest to him are social workers who have seen him blossom over the years.
Word spread quickly. Friends threw a baby shower — collecting clothes and toys.
They helped with baby-sitting. They coached him on diaper-changing and offered advice on nighttime crying.

But for all the outpouring of support and goodwill, there were some who felt he had made a huge mistake. You don’t know what you are getting into, they warned. Your studies will suffer. How are you going to provide for two small children who need everything?

McLemore had just one response.

“I refuse to allow another generation of McLemores to be raised in foster care.”