A forever family for Andrew must be willing to adopt his brother, William. The boys’ new parent or parents should be patient and trauma informed. They would do well in a forever family with other children regardless of age. Their new family needs to be patient and understanding as William and Andrew build a trusting relationship with them.

Josiah

Josiah plans to plot a course toward professional sports. When he gets older, he wants to play in the NFL or the NBA, and he’s headed in the right direction while getting practice for his future career playing football and basketball. “Josiah is a very athletic boy,” says one of the people close to him, who adds that Josiah likes all sports. Josiah also likes playing video games – especially on the PlayStation – and listening to music. On his list of favorite things, Josiah includes pizza for food, blue for color and lion for animal. According to a person who knows him well, Josiah longs for a forever family and has a lot of hope for meeting them soon. He hopes they’re open to pets and letting him play video games.

Josiah is described as a fun and kind young man. He functions best in a structured environment, and he benefits from assistance and attention at home and in school. Josiah says his favorite subject in school is math.

A two-parent forever family would be good fit for Josiah. His new parents need to make sure Josiah gets the services he needs. His parents should be experienced and trauma informed. They also will need to be patient and understanding as Josiah transitions into his new home. Finally, Josiah would do best as the youngest child in his new family.

For more information about Josiah, contact our Adoption Specialists at adoption@ccwestmi.org

Kemiya

When asked about Kemiya, those who know her best describe her as sweet, extremely honest and as having a quiet sense of humor. “She is completely unintentional in her humor and often doesn’t even realize she’s being funny,” says her worker. This humor-filled teen also has a strong sense of competition. She loves the card game, Uno and is known as unbeatable. She even practices by herself to add to her game playing strategies. Kemiya takes great care with her appearance and enjoys having her hair professionally braided. She makes efforts to make sure her hair is looking its best. In the future, Kemiya would like to take her interest in hair to the pros and become a cosmetologist. Kemiya also loves to color, swim, play board games, go for walks outside and ride her bike. Kemiya is a loveable teenager who will give hugs to anyone who will accept them. Something that sets Kemiya apart from other teenagers is that she loves doing math worksheets for fun. She can practice her math skills for hours and it is a great tool for helping her maintain her emotions. Besides playing Uno and other card games with her forever family, Kemiya’s inner thrill seeker would love to visit a theme park and try out the roller coasters.

Kemiya can struggle at times with her emotions, but she receives help to guide her in processing her feelings about her past trauma. In school, Kemiya benefits from assistance to do her best. One of her workers says, “In school, Kemiya is able to do some work independently and does great with ignoring negative behaviors from her peers.”

A future forever family for Kemiya must be patient as she works through her feelings about her past and future and develops coping skills to regulate her behavior. She would do best with two experienced parents in a home in which she’s the youngest child. One of her workers reports the family “should have consistency with routines and provide positive reinforcement for Kemiya.” Most importantly, her family must be strong advocates for the services that will help Kemiya function at her best. Additionally, the family must be open to Kemiya maintaining contact with her siblings.

For more information about Kemiya, contact our Adoption Specialists at adoption@ccwestmi.org

Draven

Draven wants to experience the great outdoors. He dreams of learning to hunt and fish, preferably with his future forever family teaching him. This big dreamer wants to travel to Hawaii to take in its warm, sunny weather. On weekends, you might find Draven playing football or going to the gym. Draven also enjoys playing basketball and football and riding his bike. When he’s indoor, you might find Draven coloring, playing with superheroes, playing video games on the Xbox or watching movies on TV. He also enjoys building things with Legos. On his list of favorites, Draven includes mushroom pizza for food and German shepherd for animal. He loves the color red, specifically “bright and flashing, the superhero color,” he says. When Draven gets to be an adult, he wants to become a car salesman. Overall, “Draven is a fun young man who wishes to be a part of a family,” says one of his workers. “Daven has the capacity to give a lot of love to a family,” says another worker. With that family, Draven not only wants to “do outdoor stuff,” but he also would like to watch YouTube videos together or have a family game night playing video games.

Draven can be shy, but once he gets to know a person he is very outgoing. He has had behavioral issues in the past, but he is doing better in his current placement. “Draven is learning to become more outgoing with his peers,” says his worker. As a matter of fact, Draven prides himself in making better choices regarding his behavior. Draven is doing well in school and reports that he likes it, especially math.

Even though Draven has had disappointments in the past, he still wants to be part of a family. He would do best with two experienced parents who can give him the supervision and one-on-one attention that he needs. Draven would do best with older siblings no longer living in the home, but if there are other children, he should be the youngest. His family should be willing to educate themselves about and advocate for the types of services that will help Draven thrive throughout his childhood.

For more information about Draven, contact our Adoption Specialists at adoption@ccwestmi.org

Jacob

Jacob, or Jake, loves the outdoors and has a list of things he wants to do with a future forever family. He loves playing sports, and his favorite is football. Jake says that the most important thing he wants others to know about him is that he’s active and enjoys spending time outdoors. He also wants people to know that he’s funny and caring, something that one of workers confirms. “Jacob is very sweet and has a lot of love to give,” the worker says. “He wants to make others happy and generally wants to do the right thing.” In addition to enjoying all things outdoors, Jake likes reading, coloring and playing with Legos and superhero action figures. His favorite is Batman. Jake’s other favorite things include mac ’n cheese for food, blue for color and horse for animal. If he could visit anywhere, Jake would go to Chuck E. Cheese because he’s never been there and to Texas to rub elbows with cowboys. Jake also dreams about owning a monster truck and lots of toys. With his future forever family, Jake wants to go fishing, horseback riding, canoeing, tubing and snowmobiling.

Jake enjoys receiving a lot of attention and can become frustrated if he feels he isn’t receiving an adequate amount of it. Jake is working on developing a consistent daily routine and being more understanding. At school, he benefits from assistance to help him stay focused and function at his best.

A forever family for Jacob should consist of two parents with experience and patience and who can provide the attention he requires. In addition, the family must be strong advocates for the services that will help Jake thrive. His new parents must be experienced and knowledgeable of the impact of trauma on a child. Jake also would do best as the only child in his new forever family. Jake would enjoy living in a rural setting or in an environment where he could be around animals. Lastly, a family for Jake must be willing to let him maintain his relationship with his brother.

For more information about Jacob, contact our Adoption Specialists at adoption@ccwestmi.org

Raymond

Raymond might be a softy, but he thinks tough. Instead of listing cats and dogs as his favorite animals, Raymond says cheetahs and sharks top his list. When he gets older, Raymond wants “to be strong!” He says he wants to become a firefighter or Superman. Raymond loves celebrating Halloween but not by dressing up as a friendly ghost. “I want to be a vampire,” he says. Despite Raymond’s affinity for all things tough, it isn’t Muscle Beach that he most wants to visit. Instead, Raymond wants to travel to Paris simply because “it’s my favorite place,” he says. Proving that he’s not only tough but worldly, Raymond lists all fruit as his favorite food, pink and purple as his favorite color and video games as his favorite toy. Raymond also enjoys riding his bike and lists the activity as the thing he takes the most pride in. Raymond is playful, and he’s compassionate and loving toward others. “Raymond is sensitive to others needs and tries to help in any way he can,” says his worker. With his future forever family, Raymond looks forward to “going swimming and buying things.”

Generally, Raymond’s behaviors are typical, but he sometimes gets frustrated when he’s not understood. However, Raymond gets services to help him communicate and cope with his feelings, and his foster parents believe he’s made great strides. Raymond shows gratitude and appreciation when someone does something nice for him and is thoughtful, considerate and patient. In school, Raymond receives assistance to help him function at his best.

Raymond would do best with two experienced parents who have patience and understanding to build trust with him. His new parents must be knowledgeable of the impact of trauma on a child. Raymond’s new forever family must be strong advocates to make sure his needs are met. The family will need to set a consistent structure and daily schedule so Raymond knows what to expect. Raymond would do best as the youngest child in the home. Finally, his new forever family must be open to letting Raymond maintain his sibling relationships.

For more information about Raymond, contact our Adoption Specialists at adoption@ccwestmi.org

Serinity

Life can be serene with Serinity around, but it also can be fun and adventurous. “Serinity has a great sense of humor and a bubbly personality,” says her worker. “She is friendly and outgoing. She loves to dance and have fun.” Serinity puts her dancing skills to work as a member of her school’s cheerleading squad. Because she loves to dance, it’s only natural that Serinity likes listening to music. She also enjoys taking selfies with her friends. Serinity is proud of her appearance. “She is stylish and always looks nice wherever she goes out,” says Serinity’s worker. When she’s asked to describe herself, Serinity says she’s funny, passionate, caring and determined.

Her worker says Serinity is a talkative and outgoing young lady with a strong desire to be independent and to put the past behind her. “She is strong-willed and a good advocate for herself,” the worker says. Serinity is working on managing her feelings with the help she receives. When she’s focused, Serinity does well in school.

Serinity and her worker are open to all types of families, but her new parent or parents should be experienced and knowledgeable of the impact of trauma on a child. Her new parent or parents must be strong advocates for the services that will help Serinity thrive. Her new forever family must be patient and compassionate as Serinity transitions into the home.

For more information about Serinity, contact our Adoption Specialists at adoption@ccwestmi.org