THE WILCOXENS

Christopher and his sisters, Zayra and Caira, lived on D.C.'s streets with their mother until November 2017, when they were placed in the U.S. foster care system.

Well past midnight one morning in March of 2018, Matt and Annie Wilcoxen learned of Christopher over a phone call. Within 90 minutes, the boy showed up at their doorstop to live with them. The following summer, his sisters joined him. The couple adopted the girls in April of 2020. And after much delay due to COVID, Christopher legally and permanently joined the family on the 18th of December 2020.

COVID restrictions and closures have presented setbacks in adoption processes across America. Simultaneously, the need for safe homes and permanent care amid the pandemic is more important than ever. Upwards of 100,000 children in the foster care system await adoption today. The future remains uncertain for many.

These photographs were taken over the course of six months, from August to January 2020, in an ongoing series documenting the their new lives as Wilcoxens.