Alijah, 8, is a sweet, lovable and easy-going boy of African American descent. He is a very active child who loves to be physically independent.
Alijah has a great memory and loves to repeat scenes from his favorite shows and movies such as “Kung Fu Panda.” He also likes playing on the iPad, playing basketball, and exploring different insects and outdoor animals.
Alijah has been diagnosed with global developmental delays and is able to express about 40 words. He is able to utilize some expressive language and can make requests for desired items.
He resides in a group home with children who also have developmental delays. He does well in this setting, and interacts appropriately with the staff and his peers. He is able to follow the routine of the program with some supervision.
When taken out into the community for activities, Alijah has done very well. He is in third grade at a public elementary school but placed in a sub-separate classroom. He is supported by an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) as well as a behavior plan to ensure daily success. His teacher and the Applied Behavior Analyst (ABA) use verbal cues for Alijah (word cards) in the classroom. He can name all his letters, sounds and relates words to letters. He is working on rhyming and is very into music.
Peer interactions can be challenging for Alijah but he is working on a goal of interacting with three peers per day.
Legally freed for adoption, Alijah’s social worker is seeking a two-parent family, either without children or with children older than 10. The family should be willing to give Alijah the nurturance, support, consistency and predictability he needs in order to thrive.
Can you provide the guidance, love and stability that a child needs? If you’re at least 18 years old, have a stable source of income, and room in your heart, you may be a perfect match to adopt a waiting child. Adoptive parents can be single, married, or partnered; experienced or not; renters or homeowners; LGBTQ singles and couples.
The process to adopt a child from foster care requires training, interviews, and home visits to determine if adoption is right for you, and if so, to help connect you with a child or sibling group.
To learn more about adoption from foster care, call the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) at 617-54-ADOPT (617-542-3678) or visit www.mareinc.org.
This article was prepared by MARE.