The dad who gave 22 kids a home

The big picture: Sullivan's kids — 21 boys and one girl — came into his life by way of mentorship programs and Northern Virginia high school counselors Some had recently lost parents, others had been abandoned, and some struggled with substance abuse or behavioral issues.

• Almost all were between 15 and 17 years old when Sullivan became their legal guardian. At one point, he had 7 teenagers living under one roof.
• All 22 went on to college or trade school, and many now have children of their own. His oldest son is 41, and his youngest is a 21-year-old college senior.

"For the first three or four, I made a lot of mistakes as a parent," says Sullivan, who's a tax attorney and lobbyist at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.

• "I really don't make many mistakes parenting anymore. By the time I got to number 11, I was really good at it."

Zoom in: Sullivan tells Axios he was motivated to embark on this parenting journey by his faith and by the little and big experiences every day that showed him he was making a difference. Just a few examples from the years:

• When his first son, Sean, turned 18, he told Sullivan he planned to move out. Sullivan was disappointed but respected his decision. Seven years passed without a word from Sean. Then, one day, Sean called and asked to get lunch. Over that meal, Sean told Sullivan he'd come to realize how important family was and wanted to rebuild their relationship. They've been close ever since.
• Another son, Francis, came to Sullivan from juvenile detention and was struggling in school. Sullivan reassured him that college wasn't the only option for the future. But Francis, encouraged by his brothers — the six older boys Sullivan was also raising — was determined. "I'm not going to be the first son not to go to college, Pops," he told Sullivan. Francis eventually went to Potomac State College.
• In 2009, another son, Maligie, was convicted of theft and faced deportation to Sierra Leone, a country he'd fled to escape being recruited as a child soldier. Maligie insisted he was innocent, and Sullivan — who says years of parenting teens had trained him to discern between truth and lies — believed him. Over the next three years, Sullivan enlisted help from lawyers, the late Sen. Orrin Hatch and the University of Virginia Law School's Innocence Project to fight his son's conviction. Maligie was exonerated in 2012. Today, Maligie works as a welder in Sullivan's hometown of Little Rock, Ark.

Zoom out: This fall, the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, a nonprofit working to help every child find a safe, loving, permanent family, honored 83 people and organizations for their contributions to adoption and child welfare at its annual gala.

• Sullivan received the group's inaugural lifetime achievement award. Organizers praised his decades of advocacy for children and families, and the many young people he's mentored and cared for. Maligie spoke about Sullivan at the gala: "Pops, I watched you get up and go to work every day with out a complaint or an excuse. You taught me to love these brothers and most importantly I learned how to be a father to my daughter. You taught me how to lead when you are not around."
• Cox Enterprises, Axios' parent company, was also recognized for its support of children and families through philanthropy, volunteerism and employee benefits for adoption and foster care.

What's next: I asked Sullivan what Thanksgiving's going to look like at his house.

• He hosts his kids and their families the Saturday after Thanksgiving because "there's no way I can compete with the girlfriends and wives" on the actual day, he jokes.
• On the menu: Grilled steaks and baked potatoes — and a very full house.