Maryse & Josée

Maryse (she/they)

Josée (she)

Cécile (she)

Nikan (he, 22 years old)

M (he, 16 years old)

A (he, 5 years old)

Region: Abitibi-Témiscamingue

blended family, foster family, intergenerational family, non-binary, Indigenous, non-Indigenous

Josée and Maryse are the proud parents of a beautiful blended, intergenerational, and intercultural family. Josée, who already had her 22-year-old son Nikan from a previous heterosexual relationship, has now lived with Maryse for three years. Maryse already has two children in her foster care, the youngest of whom, A, is now in the process of being adopted by both parents. The family also lives with Maryse’s mother, Cécile, and they are all respectful of each other’s needs!

Josée is an Innu person, Nikan is Atikamekw, and M is Anicinape; the other members of the family are non-Indigenous. The couple’s families of origin are very accepting and supportive, and Josée and Maryse also have a close and supportive network of queer friends. Before deciding to become a foster family for children from the Mixed Bank Program, Maryse had several unsuccessful inseminations in a previous union, which makes the creation of this family special. The couple has been in a relationship for five years now and have been living together for three years in an intergenerational house that they bought to welcome and meet the needs of their beautiful, blended family. Maryse is the director of the Pride Val D’Or organization, one of the two LGBTQ+ organizations in the region.