Waiting Children

2012-02-13T08:42:00.000-08:00

Shawanna

An aspiring model, 15 year-old Shawanna is the quintessential teenager. She’s a texting machine and when you hide her cell phone, you’ll find she is also wonderful to chat with. She loves spending time with her friends, going to the salon, shopping and watching movies. She has the rare gift of being able to empathize with people. She is not afraid to speak her mind and when she does, she is insightful, with good points to share. Shawanna loves school and is an outstanding student. She enjoys spending time with her peers and teachers. She has nothing but positive things to say about her daily life. She dreams of attending an all-girls private college. While she loves fashion and wants modeling to happen, her back-up plan is to become a doctor. She is an amazing child with so much potential- she just needs the right environment to thrive.

She has been through so much in her life. Unfortunately, she has had people give up on her. She needs and, of course, deservers a family who will stick by her. She initially came into foster care in 2004. Some of her extended family came forward and took custody of her; however, serious problems started to occur and Shawanna re-entered the foster care system in 2011. She’s been doing well since coming back into care and is ready to be adopted.

An ideal family would model positive relationships for her, and would not have younger children. The family should be patient and dedicated. Shawanna is outgoing and enjoys going places. She has a hard time sitting still and needs a family that is active, but also needs a family that can teach her relaxing at home on occasion is okay, too. The family that adopts her should be open to participating in family therapy so that she can continue to move forward in her life and be successful.

If you are interested in adopting Shawanna or want to inquire about adopting older children, call Laura Ash-Brackley with Children’s Home Society’s Partnership for Adoptions program at (804) 353-0191 ext 19 or (800) 247-2888.

Austin

Life is not always easy, and Austin, 14, has had his share of challenges. But he is a wonderful child. He loves the country, and being outdoors hunting and fishing. Like most teenage boys, he also loves video games. And like most, he’s athletic and enjoys sports. He’s been an avid Colts fan, despite any rankings they may have had. He’s bright, he’s interesting and he is in need of a good home. He’s been in foster care for half his life. He’s lived in conditions most of us can never even imagine. After ten placements, he’s beginning to lose hope of being adopted. We want to find him the best home. Are you that family? Or do you know someone that would be a good fit? A good fit for Austin is being with a family that is active, enjoys life and will not give up on him. Like many children that have been through difficult times, he needs an environment that will provide structure and love.

If you are interested in adopting Austin or want to inquire about adopting older children, call Laura Ash-Brackley with Children’s Home Society’s Partnership for Adoptions program at (804) 353-0191 ext 19 or (800) 247-2888.

Brad

A 13 year-old boy is always unique. There are so many changes happening at that age. They are starting to come into their own, find out who they are and becoming more confident about their place in the world; Brad is no different. He may come across as shy and reserved but he quickly warms up and is quite the conversationalist He’s a confident kid, with a tremendous sense of humor. He takes great pride in his appearance and loves to dress up; especially, in old-fashioned bow ties. He excels in academics, loves learning and enjoys school; however he sometimes struggles in school because of social distractions.

He is doing well in his current placement but is yearning for a family to adopt him. He would like one or two parents and says, “it would be great if the family could be active, but also know how to relax and chill at home.” Brad is in need of a family that will commit 100 percent to him and not give up. He came into care almost three years ago and has experienced multiple moves but is ready for just one more, only to his permanent home. Due to his multiple placements, Brad’s future family needs to understand the importance of patience when it comes to building strong relationships. He experienced neglect and spent a majority of his youth under the supervision of neighbors, as his parents left him alone often. His future family will need to be able to model healthy relationships for Brad. He struggles with his self-esteem and how he relates to other people since he has had so many people come and go in his life, with many broken promises. He is an amazing child, with an incredible amount of much potential and he needs the right environment to flourish.

If you are interested in adopting Brad or want to inquire about adopting older children, call Laura Ash-Brackley with Children’s Home Society’s Partnership for Adoptions program at (804) 353-0191 ext 19 or (800) 247-2888.

Isaiah

14 year-old Isaiah is described as, “a man of few words.” He is a strategic and can win a game of chess in two moves; especially, when he plays his social worker. While he loves board games like chess, he’s also enjoys football and video games. He’s devoted to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and is knowledgeable about all-things-football; he is vat of random football facts. If Isaiah does not become a NFL superstar when he grows up, he hopes to become a Navy Seal, though he still needs to learn how to swim. He enjoys learning about history and visiting historical sites, particularly battlefields. He does well in school and math is his favorite subject. Isaiah would love an active family that enjoys cooking, sports and travelling. As much as he loves to be active, he also likes to relax and enjoy a lazy Sunday watching football, from time to time. He would love to be a big brother; he feels he would make a good role model.

Isaiah is in his seventh placement and would like his next move to be his last. He would benefit from a family that can guide him and teach him the necessary tools he will need in life to be successful and achieve his goals

If you are interested in adopting Isaiah or want to inquire about adopting older children, call Laura Ash-Brackley with Children’s Home Society’s Partnership for Adoptions program at (804) 353-0191 ext 19 or (800) 247-2888.

Janeva

Janeva, 19, likes to be called “Jae” or “Nene.” She has a contagious laugh and is good at making people around her smile. She enjoys reading fiction and forensic non-fiction novels. She recently earned her Certified Nursing Assistant (CAN) degree, and is working part time in the medical field. She’s considering joining the military, but for now is focusing on school and work. She loves being around people, and is involved in her church and a local dance group. She enjoys social networking, praise-dancing and spending time with friends.

She wants everyone to know that even though she is 19, she still yearns for a family to call her own, and a family who will call her, “theirs.” She has been in and out of foster care since she was 18 months-old. With 15 moves, she still holds onto the hope of being adopted. Even with her strong network of friends, social workers, community connections, previous foster parents and caregivers , she still wants to be adopted. Her future adoptive family would need to be supportive of her connections, and encourage her to maintain them. The family would also need to encourage her to be a voice for teenagers in foster care since she is passionate about reaching out to help others. She would also like them to support her emotionally, morally and offer her an overall sense of identity and stability as she finds her place in the world. She would also like them to model healthy relationships and love her unconditionally.

If you are interested in adopting Janeva or want to inquire about adopting older children, call Laura Ash-Brackley with Children’s Home Society’s Partnership for Adoptions program at 804-353-0191 ext 19 or (800) 247-2888.

Kenny

Kenny, 18, has been in foster care so long he doesn’t remember having a family. He loves to play soccer and basketball., and he also loves video games. He prides himself on his good manners and being a gentleman. Soft- spoken, and sometimes a bit shy, he is a man of few words. He’s not sure what he wants to be when he grows up, but feels he has time to decide. He is in school, but behind as a result of multiple moves.

Kenny will require commitment, dedication, patience and unconditional love. He needs life-long support as he has special needs; the delays are in basic functions like socialization and communication. The thought of being adopted is very exciting to him, even at the age of 18. But if you ask him what he would like in an adoptive family he has a difficult time coming up with ideas. He will shrug his shoulders and say that he hopes the family, “would just be nice…that would be good.” He sometimes has a difficult time expressing himself verbally. You may find him pacing, listening to music and singing when he is feeling anxious. He needs and deserves a lot of attention. His ideal home would be one where he is an only child. He needs structure and routine enforced daily. He likely do well in a family that is active and where there is not too much down time. He is a great kid. He’s been down a long road and needs the stability and love of a family.

If you are interested in adopting Kenny or want to inquire about adopting older children, call Laura Ash-Brackley with Children’s Home Society’s Partnership for Adoptions program at 804-353-0191 ext 19 or (800) 247-2888.

Lavar

Lavar is an upbeat 15 year-old who enjoys hanging out with his friends at school and listening to rap music on his MP3 player. He looks much older because of his height, but he is still a kid. He dreams of becoming a famous rapper, but will settle for owning a high-end male fashion business. He has a healthy appetite and enjoys going to all-you-can-eat buffets; Chinese is his favorite. Lavar loves sports, but his favorite is football and he’s loyal to the New York Giants.

He’s been in an out of foster care for five years and has moved several times. He has had a lot of loss in his life and is in the process of addressing those issues in therapy. Due to his multiple placements, Lavar has fallen behind in school. He’s working hard to raise his grades with plans to attend high school next year. He knows he has a long road ahead of him, and is willing to put forth the effort. This would be easier if he had the love and support of a stable family behind him.

Lavar describes his time in foster care as, “miserable and difficult,” and he is on the fence about the idea of being adopted. Some days he has no hope and assumes he will be on his own forever. He’s not picky about the type of family he would like to have adopt him. He just wants a family that will stick by him in good times and bad. Lavar needs parents who will be positive role models and who are comfortable setting strict boundaries.

If you are interested in adopting Lavar or want to inquire about adopting older children, call Laura Ash-Brackley with Children’s Home Society’s Partnership for Adoptions program at 804-353-0191 ext 19 or (800) 247-2888.