Sunday’s Child is a weekly column featuring a child currently in foster care awaiting adoption.
KJuan is a friendly, upbeat, and caring 12-year-old African-American boy. He is eager to please and quick to engage with people. He thrives when he gets one-on-one attention.
KJuan makes friends easily and is able to maintain them. KJuan has many interests. He likes to listen to all types of music, play video games, and use the computer. He attends an afterschool program, and he is especially interested in Pop Warner football and basketball. He likes to hang out with his friends and play outside with the neighborhood children, and likes to attend church. KJuan is also learning how to cook! He is always open to trying and learning new things.
KJuan is a bright, resilient middle schooler who has above-average grades and receives no special educational services. Like any other child, KJuan sometimes tests limits, but he does accept consequences for his behavior. KJuan’s social worker is seeking a single- or two-parent family, preferably experienced parents. If there were other children, ideally, KJuan would be the youngest child. KJuan is likely to do best in a family with his heritage, but he has the ability to acclimate to a new culture. A family must maintain sibling contact, as it’s important to KJuan.
Try being a mentor
Children in foster care in Greater Boston need caring adult mentors. If you can commit to 8 hours a month for one year and go through a training and matching process, you could provide some stability and comfort to a child who needs someone to count on. To begin, contact Silver Lining Mentoring at (617) 224-1300 or http://silverliningmentoring.org/. Silver Lining Mentoring encourages foster and adopted youth to flourish through mentoring relationships. Hanging out for two afternoons a month — going to a movie, the mall, or bowling — can change two lives – yours and a child’s.
To learn about making a lifetime’s commitment through 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 MARE or Silver Lining Mentoring, the sooner a waiting child can benefit from your involvement.
