Meet Children Waiting for a Family

12-year-old Jaden is ready to find his forever family! He 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 8 year-old boy who wants to belong. 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 Rosie! Rosie is hoping for a stable, safe, female-led home where she can be herself and bond with her new family. Rosie 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. Rosie loves all animals, especially cats, and she loves learning new facts about all animals. Rosie dreams of being a photographer and truly has a knack for finding beauty in unexpected places. Rosie is a great self-advocate and has no problem expressing herself. Rosie enjoys tasting different types of food and enjoys sampling new recipes. She hopes to further her baking experience in a stable and consistent home. Rose 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, respectful 13 year-old. 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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Justin is an intelligent, spirited young man who has a passion for basketball. He can reel off all sorts of statistics regarding the NBA and college basketball. At 6’6 he enjoys spending his extra time on the court sharpening his skills; it doesn’t matter if he plays alone or with others, he simply loves the sport. In addition to basketball, he is equally knowledgeable about NFL players and statistics. He will hold a conversation for hours regarding former players, rookies, and all those in between. Another of Justin’s favorite pastime activities is listening to rap music. One of his favorite rappers is Eminem. He keeps a notebook containing his own original lyrics.

Justin has an infectious smile and a witty, sharp personality. A true conversationalist, he can talk with others for hours. When he has an interest in something he does research on that topic or person until he has developed a thorough comprehension of it. He enjoys reading to increase his knowledge base. Justin does well in school and has a high GPA. He learns new information quickly and seems to retain much of what is taught to him. Wouldn’t it be exciting to nurture Justin’s thirst for knowledge and see where his inquisitive mind will take him in life?

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This future marine biologist is looking to build up his village! With the support of a family behind him, he will feel like he can do anything! Ryan dreams of working with sharks, he loves all things sharks; random facts, clothing, stuffed animals and he has a blanket lovingly named “Sharky.” He is also super into space exploration and aircrafts and will have you in awe at his quick recollection of dates, names of crafts and how many flights they have taken! His smile lights up a room and his laugh is simply contagious! Ryan is kind, sweet, polite, and thoughtful and will bring joy to anyone he encounters. Ryan knows a lot about a lot! He is like a walking encyclopedia and will shock people with random facts pulled from his incredible memory.

Currently, Ryan is residing in a treatment facility and experiences a lot of consistent (and justified) frustration due to not having a plan for his future and especially with not having immediate plans to transition to a loving home. Family is very important to Ryan and he will tell you that having a family is the most important thing to him. He does have existing connections with some of his birth family which will need to be supported and maintained. His adoptive family will need to be able to assist in arranging and following through with consistent visits. Right now, there are weekly phone calls and one in person visit per month with his birth parents, who only want what is best for him. They are incredibly easy to work with and the love they have for Ryan is palpable. This is a recent reconnection as he was adopted at the age of three and his social worker has diligently worked with the birth parents to bring them back into his life.

Ryan will need a high level of support and supervision now and past the age of 18, he realistically will not live on his own. Ryan struggles with self-regulation and is working on developing and implementing his coping skills to manage his feelings and emotions. If a family is identified, there will be an extended number of visits to allow for the relationship to develop prior to transitioning to his new home, so ideally the family will be local to or willing to travel to northern Virginia frequently. Thank you for taking some time to learn more about this amazing young man!

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Meet Nathan, who goes by Nate! He is a wonderful tenderhearted teen born in 2005. Nathan is looking forward to having a forever family who support his dreams of attending Virginia Tech or George Mason for game design. Nate likes to play and watch football. Nate has enjoyed volunteering on the weekends with the SPCA in the past; this loving young man has such a huge heart for animals. He has discussed in detail that he wants to attend a four-year college and focus on designing and creating video games. He can be reserved and quiet until he feels comfortable and after he opens up, his sense of humor and gentle nature shines through. Nate is the kind of youth that will leave you saying, “He has enriched my life and given me so much more than what I am able to give to him.” Nate loves to joke around and can be quite witty.  He is getting close to 18 and is exploring all his options. Nate is holding on to the hope of a family opening their home to him before he reaches his 18th birthday; a family who will become his lifelong supports and cheerleaders as he transitions into adulthood.

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Meet Dylan! This 14-year-old is excited about the idea of adoption and about searching for his forever family. Dylan will do well in a home with 2 parents or with a single dad. 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. Dylan’s favorite movie is Detective Picachu and he loves video games (especially Minecraft and Roblox).

Piano playing and fiddling with instruments have been interests for quite some time and he also enjoys singing. He is tech savvy and enjoys anything with a screen! He wants his future family to know that he may become a YouTube celebrity 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 super power, it would be to control the weather. Dylan enjoys being inside playing games or reading but he also likes spending time outside.

Dylan has a beautifully unique personality and enjoys being around people. He loves to laugh, he thrives with praise and does well with 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 over the ones he loves and now we need to find him a family to be protective over him.

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Ra’Son is a sweet and happy 12 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. Ra’Son is kind, loving, helpful and a good problem solver. He has also been described as creative, intelligent, inquisitive and resourceful. He is proficient with electronics, enjoys playing with a yo-yo and he loves arts and crafts! His excelling in therapy right now because it’s art therapy. He enjoys making bracelets, origami and building blocks. He is also athletic and excels at most sports he tries. Ra’Son has experienced 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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14-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, 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 at the present moment! He also likes building things. Aiden makes friends easily. His hygiene and daily life skills are good. In the past, has participated in a running club, church activities (youth group), and Upward basketball. Aiden has a strong bond with his brother and sister, and he should continue to have sibling visits. 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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14-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. Elies 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! 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 pretty serious young man.

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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 15, he dreams of becoming a Scientist or a Crime Scene Investigator when he grows up. He loves Spiderman, Lil Yachty and comic books. 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, committed, fun and kind.

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John is 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. 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.

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Rajae is a typical 15-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 is planning to take a Junior Lifeguard certification class over the summer.  She is also going to take a College 101 course which is designed to help her find vocational interests and match those with skills and knowledge that she already has.  She loves to sing and will be participating in chorus over the summer as well.

Rajae has the ability and intellect to be a good student if 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 story teller.

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.