Adoption Excellence Award winners Brian and Josie Parker and their two children own and operate Believe in Wonder, a youth-focused publishing company.
Each year, the Children’s Bureau and AdoptUSKids honors families, individuals, and organizations who have made a significant impact on the field. This year, adoptive parents Brian and Josie Parker were honored at an event in Washington, DC!
They have been foster and adoptive parents since 2007. Brian and Josie have fostered across three states—Tennessee, Alaska, and Oregon—and eventually adopted two boys, Victor and Kamari.
Brian and Josie have written, illustrated, and published more than 20 children’s books, many of which include themes of adoption with the goal of better representation of lead characters of color. Their work brings awareness to the critical role and relevance of people of color in adoption from foster care.
Brian is the “Creator of the Fantastical” while Josie is the “Curator and Artisan of Imagination and Wonder.” Their sons through adoption serve as the CIOs, or “Chief Inspiration Officers.” Together this family makes up Believe in Wonder, a family venture creating science fiction and fantasy children’s books.
Their self-proclaimed message is to “share wonder, creativity, and the idea of endless possibility with their readers.” Their particular focus is on underrepresented audiences, including Black, Indigenous, or other people of color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+ youth, at-risk youth, children in foster care, and children who have experienced trauma.
Their extraordinary gifts and positive reputations have allowed them to leverage their voices for foster care and adoption!
