Sunday’s Child is a weekly column featuring a child currently in foster care awaiting adoption.
Davontae is a sweet, fun and overall happy 9-year-old boy who is African-American and Caucasian. He is affectionate and open to hugs. He enjoys doing family activities, such as playing ball and board games. He has tried skiing with previous caregivers and enjoyed the experience.
Davontae enjoys outdoor activities that allow him to run and burn off some of his energy. He can also entertain himself well and is very good at building with Legos. He is a bright youngster who can put together a puzzle fairly quickly, and loves all kinds of cars.
Academically, Davontae does well with an individualized education plan (IEP) in place. He has been through a lot of transitions in his young life, and is ready to settle into a family where he can finish growing up. In the past year, Davontae has grown and exhibited a lot of progress with his peer relations and interactions in a family setting. Davontae is good about verbalizing how he feels and what he needs. He does well with a lot of praise.
Davontae would do best in an active family able to keep his energy focused on positive activities. He would benefit from a patient family that could provide him with a lot of nurturing, positive reinforcement, and encouragement. He would be fine being in a family of any constellation, either with no other children or with a few other children in the home.
Davontae needs to have a caregiver’s undivided attention at times to really thrive. He is close to his two biological sisters and he will need to maintain contact throughout the year with them.
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 postadoption 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 financial and medical assistance after adoption. These children are also eligible for a tuition waiver to attend a state college or university.
To learn more about Davontae 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.
