Sunday’s Child is a weekly column featuring a child currently in foster care awaiting adoption.
K’Lonie is a sweet 6-year-old African-American girl who loves hugs and kisses. K’Lonie enjoys listening to music and humming to the melody. She also likes having books read to her and playing on an iPad.
K’Lonie is on the autism spectrum, and due to her young age it is not clear if there are additional cognitive delays. She is attending a day program where she is learning sign language, receiving 1-on-1 support, and has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to help her build age-appropriate skills. She is able to participate in her lessons and activities but requires supervision when doing activities on her own.
K’Lonie can have difficulty with transitions but she is able to manage them with the appropriate support. When she feels she needs assistance of others she typically uses physical contact to try to communicate. Her speech and language has been improving and she has proved that with the proper support, she is able to make progress in many areas she was behind in before coming into care.
K’Lonie maintains contact with some of her birth family. An ideal family for her would be two parents who have natural supports in place so they may obtain respite if feeling overwhelmed. A family would need to be strong educational advocates so the progress through her program is not lost if or when she transitions to the regular public school system.
What does adoption cost?
It costs little or nothing to adopt a child from foster care. Unlike international or private adoptions, there is no adoption agency fee. There are also a number of free post-adoption support services available to families statewide, including support groups and respite care. Children with special needs who are adopted from the foster care system are eligible for ongoing financial and medical assistance after adoption. These children are also eligible for a tuition waiver to attend a Massachusetts state college or university.
To learn more about K’Lonie, and about adoption from foster care, call the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) at 617-54- ADOPT (617-542- 3678) or visit www.mareinc.org. The sooner you call, the sooner a waiting child will have “a permanent place to call home.’’
