CASI Foundation for Children, Inc.

Waiting Children's Listing

US/Foster Program

Here is a list of just a few waiting children, that are looking for their forever families. If you are interested in learning more about these special kids, or kids just like them, please visit  http://www.nwae.org/ or contact our Foster/Adopt program coordinator at info@adoptcasi.org

Joseph(4/92) Alaska~  is a handsome, outgoing teenager of Alaska Native heritage with a very sweet disposition and some nice strengths for his adoptive family to build upon. Developmentally on target, he is intelligent, friendly, funny, and assertive. He enjoys church activities and has developed relationships with several families through his church participation. Of course, Joe enjoys listening to music and playing video games. He is now in eleventh grade and doing well.

While Joe is often well behaved, he has been presenting some concerning behaviors that really need to be addressed through counseling. His interactions with other kids are suffering due to aggressive and sometimes intimidating behavior, and he is having difficulty being truthful. These behaviors can be managed with behavioral management interventions, but having the opportunity to talk about issues of past trauma and loss, as well as about what is going on for him currently to trigger these behaviors, may help him to make the necessary behavioral changes. Having a permanent family of his own is important to Joe now, and he knows that it will be important to have that sense of belonging throughout his adult life, too.

Dylon and Jacob (1/95 11/97) IDAHO ~these to brothers are hoping  to be adopted by a “normal” family that goes to church. These neat boys have strong bonds and are counting on being adopted together. Both boys welcome hugs and other physical displays of affection, and have demonstrated the capacity for forming attachments. Dylon and Jacob have been described by former foster parents as “sweet kids,” who love animals, respect property, and don’t hold grudges. As with most siblings, the boys can be a handful when they get into it with one another – but they respond well to being reined in and redirected.

Among Dylon’s many interests are camping, riding his bike, learning about history, singing in church, and eating pizza and ice cream. Other favorite pastimes are playing games and doing puzzles, and of course, he enjoys playing Nintendo and PS2.

Jacob, who loves football, dreams of being an “all time running back!” In the here and now, he likes going to church and attending Sunday school. Among Jacob’s favorite playthings you’ll find toy truck and cars and stuffed animals. Jacob is especially pleased these days that he has a room of his own, as he likes to have his privacy. Jacob is in fifth grade where he is pretty much on target academically.

Given the boys past experiences, they will likely be able to trust and form attachments with an adoptive dad more readily than with an adoptive mom. Being able to form such an attachment, however, with a mother figure will be important in helping them move forward in their lives. Because Dylon and Jacob are still struggling with ambivalence about their birth mother “leaving” them, having a nurturing, self-confident adoptive mom who is able to hang in there with them through the rough patches while they test her commitment to them could go a long way in dealing with that past trauma. It would be helpful for the adoptive parent(s) also to have a good grasp of how neglect and domestic violence amidst parental substance abuse can impact a child’s sense of well being and emotional development.

Ben, Marissa and Luis OREGON (8/96, 1/00 and 3/01)

BENJAMIN (8/96), MARISSA (1/00), and LUIS (3/01), or ‘Lalo’ as he in fondly known, have made considerable progress in their foster home. Their foster mom says that Ben is very tolerant of younger children. The little things among his possessions that mean a lot to him are carefully hidden in a pillow or underneath a mattress. Like any child, Ben needs space to learn to trust, but when it all comes together he loves hugs, kisses, lots of praise and hearing “I love you.” In his spare time, Ben likes to work on the computer, play video games, spend time with friends, and make people laugh. Foster mom tells us that Marissa, who benefits from a more structured schedule than Ben, has lots of potential to be successful, despite having a bit of a struggle at school right now. Her favorite playthings are dolls and other girly kinds of things. While Lalo is the sweetest child, according to foster mom, he is a handful! This little guy needs parent(s) who are patient and kind (yet firm!) to be nearby consistently to redirect and supervise him. Some of his favorite pastimes are riding his bike, skate boarding, and playing with his toy cars and Legos. The children, who came into alternative care in 2004, are legally free.

Sweet and fun-loving, Lalo is lean and soft-spoken with sparkly brown eyes and an appealing smile. This past year, Lalo attended Head Start and a day treatment program for young children. A high energy youngster who likes to run, jump, and play, Lalo needs lots of structure and consistency. Having an adult nearby who is willing to repeat information and instructions a few times helps Lalo focus on what is being said and to be better able to recall it when needed. Medication therapy, which helps to lessen his fears and help him sleep, also assists him to focus and to curb his energy.

Marissa is an affectionate and feminine little girl with long, wavy hair, beautiful brown eyes, and a lovely smile. In the fall of 2008, Marissa will be in third grade where she is expected to do satisfactorily academically. After several months of assistance with her speech, Marissa no longer qualifies for Early Intervention services. Marissa enjoys playing outside and was also on a soccer team this year. While she loves to play with other kids, she prefers kids who are a bit younger than she is.

Benjamin is athletic and loves sports, especially football, softball, and soccer. An engaging and caring young man, he is protective of his siblings. Next fall in fifth grade, he may need additional support for reading and math as he did this past year. Medication therapy it an important part of his helping him manage his attention difficulties and high energy. In his spare time, Ben likes to work on the computer, play video games, spend time with friends, and make people laugh.

The children have made considerable progress while in their current foster home. His foster mom says that Lalo is the ‘sweetest child,’ but requires a parent who has the patience, kindness, and stamina to provide the rather constant level of redirection and supervision he needs. Marissa has lots of potential to be successful. She benefits from a more structured schedule, and needs parental support to complete her counseling program. Ben is very tolerant of younger children and his personal stuff means a lot to him. Ben needs space to learn to trust, but when it all comes together, he loves hugs, lots of praise and hearing “I love you.” He will continue to need help talking about his feelings instead of acting them out.
 

FRANCES (10/96), WASHINGTON ~ This little girl who is affectionately called Franny, and is very likeable. She has a great sense of humor, and her foster mom says she’s a pleasure to be around, especially when she’ happy and in a good mood. One of her teacher’s described Franny as “very sweet and caring.” An active preteen who likes to be busy, Franny enjoys physical activities. She participates on a bowling league with her foster family and brags that she is getting to be quite the bowler. Franny also loves to participate in her Girl Scout troop. She has fun, too, rollerskating, singing, making jewelry, and drawing. Franny likes to do almost any kind of arts and crafts project. In her spare time, she enjoys watching cartoons on TV. Now in sixth grade, Franny enjoys school. After receiving extra supports in Reading Comprehension, Reading Fluency, Math Calculation, Math Reasoning and Writing, she is now functioning at grade level with only minimal services for Writing.

Franny enjoys attending her weekly counseling sessions and has developed a nice connection to her therapist. The focus for now is on helping Franny learn to trust and increase her relationship and other socialization skills with peers, younger children, and adults. Medication therapy helps her to manage her feeling of sadness and fears about the future when they occur; she is also able to talk with her therapist about such issues.

While Franny’s worker believes that she will be able to be most successful in a family where she can be an only child or the youngest of much older siblings, her worker also believes that Franny can do well with a mom-and-dad family or a single mom family. Being willing to participate with Franny in family counseling during the adoption transition would be a wonderful way for Franny’s new folk(s) to tell her they love her and are committed to her being part of their family.