c7195

Child's name: Olivia
Number: C7195
Birthdate: 7/95
State: Washington
Listed: November 2008

Photographs by Yuen Lui

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

Aleseya, who likes to be called OLIVIA (7/95), is creative and imaginative. A bright student, she is doing well academically in her regular classroom program. She loves music and is interested in learning to play guitar. Full of energy, Olivia enjoys trying different activities. She is especially interested in outdoorsy pursuits such as horseback riding, hiking, swimming, and camping. She also enjoys cooking and shopping, and going to movies.

Olivia is a healthy, well nourished teenager. Legally free, she came into foster care in November 1999 with her two brothers, who have since been adopted and live out of state. Multiple placements over the years among relatives and in foster care have likely exacerbated her issues of past trauma, attention difficulties and high energy, as well as oppositional and defiant behavior. It has also made it difficult for her to learn personal safety skills.

The Good New is that Olivia has been making steady progress over the past year participating in therapy at a community mental health clinic. She enjoys working with her therapist and appears to have a very good rapport with her. Behaviorally, Olivia is also benefiting from medication therapy. While Olivia had extra support from an aide in school last year, the goal for this year is to allow her to demonstrate her ability to manage her behavior through the tools and skills she has been learning in therapy. So far she is doing quite well.

Olivia is also close to her current foster mom. Her foster mom has a very firm, direct parenting style which seems to work well with Olivia.

A single mom or two moms with a strong support system of family, friends, and counseling resources could be ideal for Olivia. Of course, Olivia’s parent(s) will need to provide the structure, clear rules, expectations, and limits that help her do well, as well as follow through consistently with consequences for misbehavior. Olivia also should have a safety plan in place in the home with very attentive parental supervision to support her. Olivia could do well as an only child, or the youngest of older teenage girls. Being willing to participate with Olivia in family therapy during her transition into her adoptive home would be a wonderful way to show her that her new parent(s) are committed and want her to be in their family. It also would demonstrate to Olivia that mental health counseling is an acceptable way for family members to make changes and to pursue personal growth.

Subsidy and Purchase of Service may be available.

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