Dads Open Group Home To Shelter Homeless LGBTQ+ Youth

As Today reported, the couple have three kids from Brad's previous marriage. Eventually, they would also welcome an adopted daughter named Ivy.

A few years after she arrived in their home, however, she would have even more kids to call her siblings than it might seem.

This led to the foundation of the organization he and Nick run together called Courage MKE. And the couple would see a lot of reason to expand that organization's mission when they started fostering children.

After hearing about how Annette was disowned for being a lesbian and felt unwelcome at the women's shelter she first went to, the Schlaikowskis started to become aware of how commonplace homelessness is among LGBTQ+ youths.

As Brad told Today, "Until we became foster parents, we had no idea how many kids in Milwaukee were not sleeping at their parents' homes every night."

According to a 2017 study from the University of Chicago, LGBTQ+ teens have a 120% greater risk of experiencing homelessness than heterosexual or cisgender teens.

As Brad said, "I can't fathom sleeping behind a dumpster when it's negative 20 degrees outside."

This was difficult as both Nick and Brad have full-time jobs and thus had to rely heavily on volunteer efforts to make the 18-month renovations on the home possible.

They also had difficulty securing zoning board approvals, but also found financial support from the community and through sponsorship to help see the task through.

It has since reached its maximum capacity of five young people and has earned the distinction of being the first group home for LGBTQ+ youths in Wisconsin.

It also has programs in place to facilitate access to healthcare, development of life skills, and even family reunification whenever possible.

As Brad said, "Bringing these children into our house taught them that everyone needs to be, and deserves to be, loved."

h/t: Today