Meet Children Waiting for a Family

Hi My name is Michael. I really like Pokemon, Anime and video games. I also like corgis and huskies. I am really good at basketball and do lay-ups. In a family, I would like a dog, brother and both parents if possible. I’d like to be active and be able to interact with both parents and siblings. And I am very creative. – Michael

Meet 12-year-old Michael, he is a lot of fun to hang out with. He is patient and kind, understanding and very polite. Michael has a goofy side, but he won’t let just anyone see it. This kid loves action movies and when he watches a movie, it is very entertaining; he really gets into it! Michael has recently begun to understand that he is in foster care and he is incredibly hopeful about finding a loving, safe, fun and kind forever family.

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13-year-old Eve is a super sweet, outgoing child who loves to joke around. She describes herself as funny, kind and a good listener. In her free time she likes to sing, dance and do hair and makeup. Eve does well in school and her favorite subjects are history and math. When Eve grows up she would like to be the President!

A word Eve would use to describe family is “happy or together.” She would do well in a family that has a strong, independent woman as a role model for her. Eve would also thrive in a setting where she feels safe and supported. “Belonging” to Eve means that everyone is together. Could you be that family that will make Eve feel like she belongs?

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17-year-old Lloyd loves deeply and cares unconditionally about the people who are in his life. He gives wonderful advice to those who are struggling, and he has a strong spirit, rooted in perseverance. Lloyd is very driven and wants to get a good job so he can start making money in order to one day own his own business. He loves music and fashion and is creative when it comes to thinking about clothing. He would love to design clothes for people based on what they want and like. Lloyd also loves to shadow box and stay active.

Lloyd describes family as “secure, helpful, and understanding of one another.” He hopes to find a family who will take the time to teach him new things. Lloyd is actively working on growing and improving himself. He states that he is “creating something new…the best version of myself.” Once this young man allows you into his life, you can always count on him. Could you be the family who will give him the support to help him grow into the person he is striving to become?

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Bright, bubbly, and sweet 16-year-old Bre enjoys cross-country, reading, playing basketball, going to parks and shopping. Bre is an amazing young lady who is appreciative and thoughtful. She is super animated and social and loves to make other people feel good about themselves.  Bre is a social butterfly with a beautiful smile and kind eyes. She enjoys being active in the community, is a good self-advocate and is proactive in finding ways to overcome challenges. Bre is a lot of fun to be around and makes those around her enjoy life! She is a cuddle bug and does well with lots of hugs, positive reinforcement, and incentives. Bre is empathetic towards others, patient and determined. She has the potential to be a great leader and she supports others who are going through similar situations. Bre has a great sense of humor and is very communicative.

Bre says that her friends would describe her as energetic and outgoing because she is always trying to make somebody laugh or smile. She believes that everyone should be treated equally, and she values honesty and authenticity in relationships that grow with time. Bre is thankful for having “a roof over my head and being able to be in a good school.” She wants to be a Nurse Practitioner when she grows up which shows her desire to help others. Nursing runs in her family and she has wanted to go into that profession since she was little.

When asked what her wish is when thinking about a family, she says, “I just want to be cared for because sometimes I just feel kind of hopeless. That nobody cares.” She wants to have a family who will commit to her from the start and not change their minds and back out or give up so fast.

Bre and her team are looking for a family that is encouraging, loyal and supportive. She would love to discover new things with a family, be active and go on adventures. Bre hopes her adoptive parents will be present, engaged, interested, and dedicated.

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Courtney is 17 and is excited and nervous when thinking about her future. While she aspires to be independent, she still needs a lot of encouragement, structure, guidance, and support. We are in search of a family who can provide a solid foundation for her to stand on as she enters adulthood. Consistency, safety, reassurance, predictability, and kindness are needed to anchor her foundation.

Courtney loves make up, clothes, hair, and fashion! She’s incredibly outgoing, loving, understanding and kind. She needs her tribe behind her to lift her up when she feels like giving up. Things that work well for Courtney are space (when she needs it), journaling, reading, deep conversations, affection/hugs/cuddles, words of encouragement and quality time with people she cares about. With a bright future ahead, she will change so many lives!

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9-year-old Jase is a fun and energetic child. He loves to help others in any way he can and loves any one-on-one attention that he can get. He can be timid at first, but once he is comfortable, he is very outgoing. Jase is very funny and loves to make others laugh. His favorite activities are playing outside, hopscotch, and making up new games like “golf soccer!” He has a fantastic imagination, and his energy is contagious. Overall Jase is a very playful kid with a smile and laugh that lights up a room.

A family that would be a good fit for Jase would be a family that is energetic and likes to do activities together outdoors. Jase is very intelligent and loves to build and create new things, but he especially loves it when he has someone to do it with. Jase craves stability. He wants a family that can be there for the long haul. He recognizes his behavior but wants to work through it with someone by his side. He enjoys collaborating and working with others as a team, and he has been looking for a team to stick by him for quite some time. Jase would enjoy having siblings, but he would prefer to be the youngest in the home. He is a very kind child and hopes to see kindness and nurturing in a family. Could you be that family to finally show him the unwavering love he so badly deserves?

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JinLong “Jin” is 11 years old (12 in August) and is shy when you first meet him. He is caring, sweet and almost always has a smile on his face. He loves fast cars and fast food! Jin is described as a sweet boy, and a pleasure to be around. His smile is contagious, and he can light up an entire room. Jin yearns to have normal life experiences and to enjoy being a kid. He enjoys getting head rubs before bed, playing outside, soccer, and enjoys looking for undercover police cars when he’s out and about. Jin will enjoy tagging along running routine errands and just being out in the community. This young man loves to talk and can carry on quite the conversation! He most likely will need lifelong support in place in his day-to-day activities. Jin is holding on to hope that there is a family out there who will love him, keep him safe and allow him to enjoy life.

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My name is Alyssa, and I am 14 years old. I’ve been in foster care since January 2019, I’ve bounced around from home to home trying to make my last move. I struggle with lying, stealing, arguing with authority and I ran away once. It’s a slow process, but I’m working on it by building trust with people of authority, so I won’t have to worry about lying or stealing from them. I am working on my stealing by focusing on myself so I can identify and control my impulses and make the right choices. I am living in a group home and am working on things such as my anger, lying, stealing, obedience, keeping drama low, social skills and little things such as keeping up with my chores and keeping my room clean.

On the bright side, I am very helpful, energetic, responsible, caring and am a good listener. One time I rode a special bus because my school was half an hour away from my house and I helped the bus aide buckle the kids in, get them on and off the bus and when we would get to school, I would help their teachers by getting their food and help them get to class. I am very confident! When I was in elementary school, I ran for Vice President. I lost, but the point is, I still ran.

When I was little, I took the responsibility of being “mom” by helping my brother and sister get to where they needed to be. Yes, we were late to school every morning, but we still got there! I learned how to cook, and I had to feed the whole family before I fed myself. I learned how to bathe and clothe myself and I can say I just overall became more independent at a young age.

I’m most definitely the class clown in every situation I’m put in because you always have to make the best out of every situation. I have my anti-social moments as well as any other teenager, so when I do, I just talk on facetime with my friends in my bedroom, play video games or just stay in my room. I’m not a tomboy but I’m not a girly girl either. I lie makeup, clothes, hair and everything but I’ll get down for football, 4-wheelers, video games and just to get dirty.

I’m very easy to please, but very picky at the same time. I love social media, baking, hanging out with friends of both genders, sleepovers, writing, shopping, video games, being active, playing sports, hiking, going to the gym and talking. I am very loud! I can always make conversation and put smiles on people’s faces. I love getting my nails done, doing my hair, joking around and watching movies. I love music, especially rap, hip hop, R&B and trap music and I like my music LOUD! I love animals, especially big dogs, they are my favorite! I also like small animals like hamsters, lizards and stuff like that.

If somebody were to ask me what a perfect family for me was, I would say siblings, younger or older but especially younger because I love little kids and babies but older is ok too because I also like video games and shopping. A perfect family would love to travel and go on vacation, is really chill and laid back but sets rules, lets me take responsibility and lets me go out with friends. A perfect family would have a big dog or lots of big dogs. They would let me make mistakes and provide me with a safe and stable environment, somebody I could love and trust into being my forever home.

Nobody is perfect and I’ve made mistakes, but I hope that doesn’t stop me from being adopted.

Thank you!

-Alyssa

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Meet Eliza! She is 15 years old and multi-racial. When first introduced to you, she will shake your hand and tell you how nice it is to meet you with a big smile on her face. This young lady is quite a conversationalist, she is full of energy and is very curious about everything. Eliza loves being outside and especially loves swimming. She is creative and in her younger years, she would create masterpieces with Legos, she enjoys drawing and likes to sing. She dreams of being an actress and likes the idea of transforming into someone else to entertain people. Eliza has become a fierce advocate for herself and is not afraid to speak up for what she feels is right.

Eliza loves to learn new things and enjoys meeting new people. She is excited about adding people to her life who will love her and call her theirs. Eliza does have a village surrounding her, full of people from her birth family, previous caregivers and people in the community who will all want to stay connected, so her adoptive family will need to be open to maintaining contact and helping with possible visits in the future. She does not have any significant connections with consistent connections requiring contact/visitations occurring right now at this point in her due to where she is residing. Her CASA worker is a huge support and will want to remain connected in her life.

Eliza is a transgendered female and needs a family where she can confidently express herself and where she knows she is safe. As she is getting older, she is becoming more comfortable in her skin. Eliza is very eager to impress others and be accepted, so she can be a sort of chameleon to gain that acceptance, but she needs to be in a family where she can find out who she really is, what she really believes in, what she believes about herself and where she can feel truly safe and unconditionally accepted. This will take time. We are seeking a family who is a part of (or ally for) the LGBTQIA+ community.

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Match pending

12-year-old Jaden is ready to find his forever family! Jaden is a Caucasian male who enjoys basketball, Legos, and spending time outside. Jaden likes school and plays the clarinet in the school band. He is used to being in a rural setting but has also lived in more suburban areas.  Jaden would love a family that allows him to “just be a kid” and enjoys spending time together! He is open to having siblings and/or pets. He does well with routine, structure, support for emotional regulation, redirection, and boundaries. The ideal family for Jaden would have therapeutic parents who give him time to warm up to them and remain consistent and committed through tough times.

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Meet Syncere! Syncere is a sweet, empathetic 9-year-old boy who wants to belong. Syncere is of African American racial heritage. He is a good advocate for himself and has learned how to get his needs met with caregivers and staff. He enjoys being outside – playing, hiking, or exploring in nature. He loves superheroes, all things Marvel, and fidget toys. He enjoys animals, especially dogs. Syncere is seeking a family with knowledge about trauma and how it impacts behavior. His ideal family will be consistent, committed, patient, and very involved in his schooling and other services. He does best with ongoing supervision, redirection, and support with transitions. His ideal family would include firm but nurturing parents, and having older siblings in the home would be a bonus.

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Say hello to Izzie! Izzie is a 17-year-old Caucasian female hoping for a stable, safe, female-led home where she can be herself and bond with her new family. Izzie loves to draw, and her favorite things to draw are rats. She enjoys exercising at her local YMCA, singing all genres of music, and being outside doing activities with her friends. She hopes to be adopted with her twin sister Alex so that they can continue their journey towards peace and stability. Izzie loves all animals, especially cats, and she loves learning new facts about all animals. Izzie dreams of being a photographer and truly has a knack for finding beauty in unexpected places. Izzie is a great self-advocate and has no problem expressing herself. Izzie enjoys tasting different types of food and enjoys sampling new recipes. She hopes to further her baking experience in a stable and consistent home. Izzie also understands her own mental health and has a strong set of coping, resiliency, and communication skills for navigating more difficult times. It is important that her support system understands these skills and tools as well.

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Antonio is a playful and respectful 14-year-old African American male. He enjoys playing football and basketball and is always determined and excited to show his skills on the field. His favorite football team is the Baltimore Ravens. He is interested in fashion and loves clothes,  and red is his favorite color. He has a piqued interest in dirt bikes. He is very creative and enjoys rebuilding cars and anything that is hands on and/or mechanical. He mentioned that he may want to become a mechanic in the future. He can identify the make and model of every type of car he encounters. He is receptive of chores and is happy to help around the home. Antonio is hoping to find his forever family that will nurture and support him. A family that can set structure and boundaries with him while also providing love and appropriate caregiving will be important for him.

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Meet Dylan! This 15-year-old is excited about the idea of adoption and about searching for his forever family. His ideal home would consist of a loving family where games of all types are played regularly. Dylan dreams of having a kind and loving family, having a job that is not too complicated and he wishes he could be the smartest person in the universe. He will tell you his spirit animal is a tiger because they are brave, fierce, smart, and protective. Dylan’s favorite subjects in school are math and science, but he says he enjoys them all. Some of his other favorite things include slushees, Frosties, ice cream and Mexican food.

Piano playing and fiddling with instruments have been interests for quite some time and he also enjoys singing. He always has his mp3 player and ear buds on him as music means a lot to him. He is incredibly tech savvy and enjoys anything with a screen! He wants his future family to know that he may become a YouTube celebrity/influencer and wants to be a computer specialist or an astronaut when he grows up! Seeing volcanoes in person would be something on his bucket list if he were to create one and if he could have a superpower, it would be to control the weather. Dylan enjoys being inside playing games or reading but he also likes spending time outside. We have also discovered that this young man can CLEAN! He enjoys doing projects around the house and making everything look good while being immaculately clean and sanitized!

Dylan has a beautifully unique personality and enjoys being around people. He has never met a stranger and will walk up to anyone, introduce himself and get to know them. His manners are amazing, and his level of engagement is very impressive. He loves to laugh; he thrives with praise and does well one on one time with people who care about him. At times, Dylan needs extra support and guidance when in social situations. Over time, a family can model this and encourage him. He is protective of the ones he loves and now we need to find him a family to be protective of him. Dylan does come with some strong connections in his life, so a family in or accessible to those in Virginia is very important.

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Match pending

Ra’Son (pronounced Ray-sahn) is a sweet and happy 13-year-old who can be incredibly polite and respectful. He typically has a smile on his face and can be a bit shy when you first meet him, but he warms up pretty quickly, especially if you are kind and like slime! Ra’Son is loves the color red, kind, loving, helpful and a good problem solver. He has also been described as creative, intelligent, inquisitive, and resourceful.

Ra’Son is proficient with electronics, as mentioned, he loves (is obsessed) with slime, and he loves arts and crafts! He has recently taken an interest in graphic novels and crystals. He does very well in therapy right now because it’s art therapy. He enjoys making bracelets, origami, and Legos. He is also athletic and excels at most sports he tries.

Ra’Son has experienced high levels of loss and rejection in his life and is open to finding a new family; a family who will commit to him and allow him to feel a sense of belonging and safety. It may take some time to gain his trust as he has had people let him down in the past.

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Match pending

15-year-old Aiden is described as likeable, social, and resilient. His personality is generally cheerful, bright, enthusiastic, and engaging. Aiden is open to conversation with others and is learning to talk about his feelings. He enjoys social media, YouTube, TikTok, riding his bike, swimming, playing sports, tossing the football, spending time with friends, watching TV shows and movies, playing video games, board games and playing outside. He is getting older, so some of his interests are changing and he’s really focused on football now! He also likes building things. Aiden makes friends easily. His hygiene and daily life skills are good. In the past, has participated in running clubs, church activities (youth group), community based basketball and a mentoring group. Aiden has a strong bond with his brother and sister, and he should continue to have sibling visits when appropriate. Aiden is also connected to his cousin and her family and should maintain that relationship in the future. Aiden will thrive in a safe, loving, committed home.

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15-year-old Elies is into tattoos and technology! He prefers to be called “Eli” and he is in planning mode for a tattoo he hopes to get once he turns 18, he enjoys thinking about the design. Eli is pretty tech-savvy and dreams of working in the IT field when he is older. Eli wants to learn how to successfully become independent and would thrive in a family who can offer a lot of support and guidance during this time in his life. He is open to living anywhere and would be happy in the suburbs or a country-like setting, especially if there are animals around! He would like to stay close to central Virginia so he can maintain the connections he has with natural supports and birth family. His favorite food is pineapple pizza and he has a healthy appetite. Eli does well in a calm, quiet environment. He finds solace in music and nature. Like most teens his age, he would love to be a part of a family where gaming was part of everyday life. Eli enjoys connecting with others and likes to laugh even though he often comes off as a very serious young man.

Currently, Eli resides in a highly restricted environment, so a family would need to be willing to travel to him and hold visits at the facility. The timeline for when he will no longer be in this environment is unknown. He deserves to have a family visit him consistently and would benefit from having the time to slowly build a trusting relationship with the family before a transition plan is developed.

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Grayson has fond memories of attending a large church with lights, fog, and a loud band. When asked what Grayson wants in a family, his response was, “I really want a family, I care about God and everyone, sometimes I lie and am dishonest, but I admit to it. I say sorry when I need to. I’m a good kid.” At the age of 16, he dreams of becoming a Scientist or a Crime Scene Investigator when he grows up. He loves Spiderman, Lil Yachty and comic books but above all else, he loves video games. Grayson is into football, baseball and basketball and loves the Seahawks, the Golden State Warriors and the Yankees. You would put a big smile on his face if you gave him a snack of root beer and BBQ Pringles! Grayson would love to belong to a family that is active, loving, patient, committed, fun and kind.

Grayson loves to connect with people. He can be quite a conversationalist and he strives to establish good relationships with others. He loves being around others and he would spend hours on the phone with you if you let him! I know he would love to have other people to call so he can talk about his day. He is very thoughtful in his conversations and asks questions that show that he genuinely listens and cares about others. This kid is yearning to be a part of a family, to experience life as a kid and to feel positive about his future.

We will need a family who can lovingly establish routine and balance, to include enforcing boundaries and limitations (along with safety lessons that are necessary when engaging with all things tech) when it comes to screen time. Grayson has asked us to find him a family who will allow him to play video games for as long as he wants, whenever he has down/free time. He is trying to wrap his head around the fact of families will not allow any child to be in front of the screen for hours on end and that there is a lot more to life! If he can’t be in front of a screen, he wants to be out and about doing something fun, so it will be important for his family to help him learn how to relax and essentially how to be bored; that being bored sometimes is OK!

Grayson is easily influenced and motivated by others so if we have the right family behind him, the sky is the limit for this young man! He has so much to offer, and he is one of those people who if you only meet him one time, you always remember him. His heart is huge and his desire to belong to a family has been his driving force. We fear he is beginning to lose hope, but we know his family is out there!

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12-year-old John is adorable, rambunctious, and thoroughly enjoys playing outside. He loves to play board games and card games such as Chutes and Ladders, Trouble, and Go Fish. John loves to carry on conversations and is very curious about his surroundings and the world in general. When he is in a new place, he wants to know what everything is and how it works. John has quite the imagination and loves to pretend, especially if he can pretend to drive a large truck with a passenger along for the ride!

John is sweet and polite and enjoys being around others. He would love to have a dog in his new family. John is usually a very happy youngster and takes great pride and joy in helping others. John has an extensive trauma history and the family found for him will play a tremendous role in his healing journey. Currently, John is placed in an environment that is restrictive with a lot of support and services in place 24/7.  The matching process will be slow as the identified potential family will need to engage in a high level of services, connect with him over phone calls, virtual visits and in person visits.

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Rajae is a typical 16-year-old teenager.  She has a vast array of interests and loves to be active in a variety of ways. She needs firm structure and routine, but she does prefer to “mix it up” when it comes to daily activities. One of Rajae’s favorite things to do is swimming.  She’s proud of not giving up on her goals and is considering a career as a marine biologist and lawyer.

Rajae has the ability and intellect to be a good student when she applies herself.  Her outgoing personality hinders her in the academic setting as she is easily distracted by her peers and what is going on around her.  She does want to attend a two-year community college and transfer to a traditional four-year program upon completion of her basic required classes. Rajae enjoys eating out or eating at large family gatherings.  When she is asked, she is hard pressed to say what foods she does not like.  Her favorite foods include chicken wings and pizza.  Her favorite restaurant is Chipotle.

Rajae uses coloring, journaling, and decorating her room as an outlet.  She also loves animals, especially dogs and finds them to be therapeutic when tasked with caring for them and simply giving them snuggles. Rajae describes herself as funny and outgoing.  She easily makes friends.  She readily says hello to every person that she knows that passes by her.  Rajae has a vivid imagination and is a very convincing storyteller.

Rajae has several half-siblings and wants to maintain relationships with them. A family interested in adoption would need to be open to ensuring these connections/relationships are nurtured and continued. Rajae wants a family to know that her “past does not define” her.  She longs for a forever home and a family that will support her and help guide her to grow into the young woman that she desires to be.

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Today there are more than 1,400 Virginia children, and more than 100,000 U.S. children, in foster care waiting to be adopted. These children range in age from less than a year old to 21. At AdoptUSKids, you can explore the database of thousands of children in foster care available for adoption who need permanent, loving homes.

Click here to visit AdoptUSKids.