Roland, Monika and Philip Herkstroeter

Thank you for taking the time to learn a bit about us. Making an adoption plan for your child is an extraordinary act of love, and we realize that it takes much strength and courage. We can only imagine what a difficult time this must be for you.

In 2008, our beautiful son Philip came into our lives through OPEN ADOPTION. Both of Philip’s birthparents are very dear to our hearts, and we stay in close contact with his birthmother. We welcome you into our family to have as much contact as you are comfortable with. We hope that knowing your child is happy and deeply loved by two parents and a big brother will be a comfort to you.

We grew up in neighboring towns in Germany, and have known each other since our early twenties. When we eventually came together ten years ago, we got married within three months. We complement each other very well, and our relationship is built on communication, commitment, and an enduring love for each other.
During the last few years we have lived in Atlanta (Georgia), Singapore, Germany, and now in California. It was quite an adventure! We decided to stay where we felt most comfortable, and are now glad to call the United States our permanent home. Our children are growing up bilingual, and are benefiting from knowing two cultures.

There are two words that come to our mind when we think of Philip: silly and social. His face lightens up every time he sees a child, and he’s never shy to walk up to anyone he meets at the playground. He loves being chased around and rolling on the floor, and in his eyes everything is a toy.
He likes to explore how things work, and enjoys being read to several times a day. Philip loves animals, and he treats them very gently. One of the first names he could say was “Lisa”, the name of our cat. Because of his outgoing personality we are sure he will be a great big brother!

Our cozy home lies in a friendly neighborhood in Temple City, California. Every time we go for a walk we meet other children to play with, and there are countless parks with playgrounds nearby. The schools in our area have great ratings, and we like that they are very diverse.

On the weekends we often hit the road to explore new places nearby, such as local festivals or one of the many sights in Los Angeles just 30 minutes away. We also love getting out in nature, hiking through redwood forests, and hanging out at the beaches. Philip is enjoying all our family activities and has lots of fun learning through them.