c7114

Child's name: Jerry
Number: C7114
Birthdate: 9/00
State: Oregon
Listed: August 2008

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

With his adorable smile, boundless energy and creativity, JERRY (9/00) is sure to bring adventure to the right family. An inquisitive little guy who loves art and drawing, putting together Legos, and playing Uno, he has a special doll he takes everywhere he goes – it is very important to him that his doll be well cared for. Along with his great smile, Jerry has short brown hair and hazel eyes. His height and weight are consistent with that of other children his age. He has a tube in one ear to manage ear infections.

Legally free, Jerry came into care in 2004. He had many stumbling blocks in his early years, and he needs a family that can offer him a great deal of structure, love, and support on a daily basis. It has been very hard for him to make sense of what he has experienced, and play therapy and art work are ways that he tries to work through his confusion and issues. He has some very special behavioral needs.

While Jerry can understand what others are saying, he does have some difficulty articulating his words and needs ongoing speech therapy. For the 2008-2009 school year Jerry will be in second grade. Due to his experiences of trauma it has been difficult for him to concentrate and to learn. He is at least a year behind other children his age and needs a lot of individual assistance and support to complete his work. It will be important for Jerry to continue to attend a school that can support his special needs. In addition to counseling and play and art therapies, medication therapy is having a positive effect on Jerry’s symptoms of attention difficulties and high energy.

While multiple placements in foster care have exacerbated his issues, he is currently in therapeutic foster care. In that stable, supportive environment, he is making progress in learning appropriate ways to deal with stress, anger, and disappointment. Many of the moves were simply placements intended to be temporary until a full-time placement could be found.

Jerry responds best to environments that have a balance of structure, support, flexibility, and kind, low key, calm, nurturing adults. Jerry is anxious and confused in his attachments to others. It will be important for him to be with a patient family who can allow him the time he needs to slowly develop a bond over time. He is most vulnerable when he is feeling over stimulated and may be hypersensitive to certain sensory experiences.

Jerry is the oldest of three children. His siblings include a girl and a boy both adopted by the same foster home. His adoptive parent(s) will need to help Jerry have contact, as appropriate, with his siblings as he is growing up.

Jerry is really looking forward to being adopted. He needs a family that can provide a structured and stable environment while patiently meeting his emotional and developmental needs. Any adoptive resource for Jerry will need to have a good understanding of how to handle difficult behaviors and be open to ongoing counseling with an experienced therapist familiar who understands adoption and attachment issues. Jerry would do best as an only child, or as the youngest of much older siblings. Jerry does seek out affection from caregivers and asks for hugs. He also enjoys drawing pictures for the significant adults in his life.

Subsidy and Purchase of Service may be available.

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