c7034-35

Child's name: Dajia and River
Number: C7034-35
Birthdate: 4/00 and 1/98
State: Oregon
Listed: May 2008

If you have completed an adoption homestudy and would like to have your information forwarded to this child's worker, contact us.

DAJIA (4/00) and RIVER (1/98) are attractive siblings – bright, energetic, and enthusiastic – who have loads of potential! Dajia's charm and her joy in life make her irresistible. She is amazingly capable. River has an intense determination driving him to try new things even when he’s filled with feat that he won't be perfect. He wants to please the people who are important to him. Dajia is doing very well in her current placement where she gets to be the youngest child, and River is thriving in his current foster home.

River and Dajia, who came into foster care in December 2005, are not yet legally free. The legal risk, however, is minimal. Parental rights will be terminated an adoptive family is identified. Because Dajia and River will be maintaining some contact with birth family members in and close to the state of Oregon, their worker wants to hear only from eligible-to-adopt families in the Pacific Northwest.

Dajia is an exceptionally capable little girl in school where she is being tested for the Talented and Gifted program. At home and school, she is enthusiastic, active, and generally pretty cooperative, although “she has her moments” of defiance and anger outbursts and acting babyish. Because she responded so very well to her community-based counseling program, which involved working with a therapist and a skill builder, she has now graduated to a less intensive form of therapy. Dajia has learned how to make choices and how to cooperate with family rules, expectations, and limits. She is developing friendships at school and home, and she has developed a close relationship with her foster dad and has come to full accept her nurturing foster mom.

River is a sensitive, intelligent boy who has proven capable of developing deep trusting interactions with his foster dad and a great working relationship with his therapist. He is proud of making good grades in school and proud of himself for playing on a basketball team. He says he isn’t the best player, but he is fast! He likes to play paintball with his foster dad and teen foster brother, is fearless on his bike, gladly tackles and wrestles with his foster dad foster siblings, but could not find the courage to actually head down a snowy hill on a snow board. River is a complicated boy who has some unique fears, probably as a result of barely-remembered experiences from his young childhood. In spite of social inexperience, River has done well making friends at school. And he handled his first sleepover birthday party with grace. This and other enriching social experiences have broadened River’s perspective and increased his social capabilities. River wishes he could remain in his current foster home, but he has often been told by his young, single foster dad that they can remain friends and maybe visit when River is with his adoptive folks. River wants to cooperate, and thrives with clear expectations and kindly, firm direction.

We are looking for an adoptive family, which has some experience with youngsters, and does not currently plan to have additional younger children in the family. It is very, very important to Dajia and River that their adoptive family would maintain connections with their brother’s family. Both kids do best when they know what to expect and when routines and schedules are generally consistent. Both can manage special occasions, and they benefit from pre-teaching and some “down time” afterward. Both children are used to interacting with the extended families of their foster parents, and they both do well spending holidays and weekends with lots of family around. Their brother’s adoptive family has stated they want to maintain contact with the adoptive family of River and Dajia. Dajia and River have stolen the hearts of their CASA, therapists and foster families. These children are capable of great loyalty and depth of feeling, though it might take a while before they can show it.

Subsidy and Purchase of Service may be available.

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