GABRIELLA (12/98), JOSEPH (12/00), and BARBARA (12/04) are darling siblings who are counting on being adopted together. This ready-made family is sure to bring lots of joy to a fortunate adoptive family. Sweet smiles and warm, sensitive eyes highlight the faces of Gabi, Joey, and Barbie. This loving trio has endured much, but they are ready to receive all the nurturing, stability and safety that a committed adoptive family can offer.

Big sister Gabi has rich, brown hair and an olive complexion. Quiet and keenly sensitive, she is watchful of her surroundings and approaches new situations cautiously. At home, Gabi appreciates a balance of family life and personal interests. In her private time, Gabi might be found meticulously stringing beads or picking out a song on her keyboard. Gabi is looking forward to being the oldest child in her "growing-up family" and having a room of her own.

Joey is inching up to Gabi's height, but with his kind, sweet demeanor, he wouldn't consider teasing Gabi about his physical achievement. Like his older sister, Joey is cautious in unfamiliar settings and is intent on assessing a situation before venturing forward. Joey will mezmerize you with his captivating hazel eyes, while his sandy-brown hair is buzzed into a summer crew-cut. Pretend play is Joey's empire and during school recess, Joey is often found acting out his latest episode of heroes and villains. Joey also enjoys playing video games, and generally is able to comply with the time limits his foster parents impose.

Baby sister Barbie is charming and sweet, but astute enough to realize that with just a little whining, her older siblings will concede her desires. Barbie is a healthy little girl with light-brown hair that falls gracefully to her shoulders. Barbie is able to play well independently, whether with toys or in imaginative play. She enjoys the typical cast of preschool TV characters, with Dora being one of her current favorites.

Legally free, Gabi, Joey, Barbie and their older sister were placed in alternative care with relatives in October 2006. The eldest sister (and Gabi to a lesser degree) had taken on the caregiving role in the family, ensuring that the younger children were fed and clothed, supervised, and bathed. Over the years, many service providers and community professionals attempted to intervene in the family without success. As a result, Gabi and Joey could not trust that adults were able to keep them safe. In January 2008, the eldest sister was placed separately to meet her individual needs better, and Gabi, Joey and Barbie were placed with their current foster parents, where they have grown by leaps and bounds.

Now in fifth grade, Gabi recently thrives on the consistency and predictability of the school day, so much so, that she wasn't sure she wanted a summer vacation. Gabi is at grade level and benefits from some extra help in reading. Her confidence and trust in adults has grown significantly in the past several months. She can now identify a handful of adults on whom she can rely. She continues to benefit greatly from having therapeutic supports to help her to identify what she wants and to find her voice to declare it. In fact, Gabi initially expressed her desire to never move again, wanting to stay in her foster placement. After more discussion about what the right adoptive family would offer, she began taking an active role in orchestrating the selection of her adoptive family. In addition to being the oldest in the family, Gabi hopes for a family who will respect her need for privacy, and who is open to helping Gabi maintain contact with older sister.

Joey also has grown with the consistency and nurturing his foster parents have provided. He craves affection and reassurance from his foster parents, and a daily dose of nurturing, such as snuggling on the couch with his foster mom, is helping Joey to continue his climb. Before his placement in foster care, Joey performed poorly in school. He recently completed the second grade where he is above grade level in most areas; he is truly a whiz at Reading and Math and is eager to read any book offered to him! Joey also benefits from having weekly therapeutic supports. Joey wants an adoptive family who will understand that he still faces challenges every day, and that he will need their gentle, positive encouragement to master daily hygiene tasks that boys his age typically have mastered.

Barbie is just beginning to demonstrate her unique personality and individual needs. She began attending a preschool program in last January 2009, where she received Early Intervention services to improve her speech and social development. Because her older siblings tried diligently to meet her needs when they were in their birth home, Barbie came to expect that they would continue to be attentive to her. The adoptive parents need to reassure Gagi and Joeythe older children that they will care for Barbie, while also reassuring Barbie when she falls into her old patterns of behavior with her siblings.

These siblings have enjoyed relatively good health in the past year. However, given the birth mother's history of intermittent substance abuse, in utero exposure to drugs and/or alcohol cannot be ruled out.

Gabi, Joey and Barbie are a tender, loving sibling group who eagerly await an adoptive family who can shower them with the warmth and nurturing that they crave. Adoptive parents for these children will need to be patient and understanding, giving the children time to develop trust that their new family is committed to them and will keep them safe. Adoptive parents for Gabi, Joey, and Barbie will be able to understand that the children's progress will likely alternate between gains and slight regressions, and they will need to be strong advocates to ensure the children receive appropriate counseling and educational services.