Maryland, USA
My name is Adrian Claus and I’m living in Rockville with my Hostfamily (Dean and Rachel Baxtresser). I am an Apex Care Professional and physical therapist from Germany. I have been living with my host family for almost half a year now, and I would like to nominate them for Host Family of the Year 2026 with all my heart. In my opinion, no other family deserves this title more than they do. The way they welcomed me, the way they live their family life, and the love, patience, and dedication with which they care for their children has deeply impressed and inspired me.
Even before I arrived, they wanted to make sure that I would feel completely comfortable in their home. They paid attention even to the smallest details, such as asking about the color of my room or my food and drink preferences. Through these thoughtful gestures, they made sure that I would feel safe, welcome, and cared for from the very beginning. This attention and kindness already showed me before my arrival that I was joining a family that treats people with openness, respect, and warmth.
When I finally arrived, I received an incredibly warm welcome. Since then, they have fully integrated me into their daily life and allowed me to truly become part of their family. Their everyday life may be different from many other families because they actively practice the Jewish faith. However, they always included me whenever I wanted to participate—whether it was during the traditional Shabbat from Friday to Saturday, during religious holidays, or when attending synagogue. Through this openness, I not only learned a lot about their culture and traditions, but I also always felt like a real member of the family. At no point did I feel like just an employee; instead, I felt valued and included as part of the family.
The transition from one Care Professional to another was also handled with great care by my host parents. They organized everything in a very smooth and thoughtful way so that I could settle into the family routines without unnecessary stress. Their support made it much easier for me to feel confident in my new role and to quickly adapt to everyday life in the household.
Since the two oldest children share the same genetic condition, my host parents work incredibly hard every day to give them as many opportunities as possible and to support them in living fulfilling lives. From a therapeutic perspective, this allowed me to do a lot of developmental work with the children. My main focus was on the daughter, who is only one year younger than her brother but missed many important therapy sessions due to the COVID period. When I first arrived, she was not able to walk and did not yet have enough strength to sit independently for long periods of time.
Today, we have achieved remarkable progress together. She can now sometimes stand up on her own, walk with the support of one hand, and even manage the first steps on stairs. For many people these milestones might seem small, but for us they are truly extraordinary. My host parents respond to these moments with so much pride, joy, and gratitude that it is impossible not to feel the deep love and hope they have for their children. What makes these achievements even more meaningful is that many therapists had previously told them that progress like this might never be possible.
Despite those predictions, my host parents never placed unrealistic expectations on their children. Their greatest wish has always simply been for their children to be safe, healthy, and happy. This attitude creates an environment filled with patience, understanding, and unconditional love—an environment where children are able to grow, and where even small steps forward are celebrated as great successes.
For me personally, this experience has also been incredibly meaningful. Professionally, I have grown a lot because I have learned how to support children with special needs in many different situations and which strategies truly help them progress. At the same time, I have learned the importance of patience, resilience, and appreciating even the smallest achievements.
But my growth was not only professional. I also learned something much deeper: how to truly love children with special needs, even though they are not my own. The way these children show their love, trust, and affection touches me deeply. Because of that, I have been able to build a very special and deep bond with them—one that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
I am incredibly grateful to be part of Apex Social with this family, because it is unlikely that any other organization could have given me such a meaningful experience and such a special connection. This family shows every single day what it truly means to support one another with love, patience, and strength—and that is exactly why they deserve to be named Host Family of the Year 2026.
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At Apex Social, we believe in care that transforms, not just for the children we serve, but for everyone involved. If you’re inspired by the Baxtresser family’s story, now is the time to start your own Apex Social journey.
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