Divonte, 15, plans future as video game designer

"I'm not completely high tech," says Divonte who realizes anyone with future plans to be a video game designer could be pegged as such. His spare time is filled with much more than computers as he writes poems, RAP songs, and has branched out to begin penning his autobiography.

Always on the move with a variety of sports, Divonte rates football as a fav. "I am best as a running back because of my running skills, moves and footwork," he says. When not playing sports, Divonte has his head in a book with his all time favorite novel being The Shawshank Redemption. He's currently reading the second book of the series, The Summer of Corruption.

Divonte would prefer to live in the Twin Cities area or another urban or suburban environment. He hopes to find an adoptive family who will support his relationship with his older sister because she is very important to him. Although Divonte has endured many losses and challenges in his life, he has made significant personal gains and says, "I still hold out hope that the right family will be found for me.”

To learn more about Divonte, please contact Betty Woodland, Child Specific Adoption Recruiter at Hennepin County. Betty.Woodland@co.hennepin.mn.us
612-348-0142


At 16, Marcus still believes

Despite waiting a long time for a family he can call his own, Marcus has hope for being adopted. He says, ““I don’t care where the family lives or how many kids they have as long as I have a family.”

Marcus enjoys many kinds of sports including meeting players. He says, “It was pretty cool when I got to meet Jamal from the Minnesota gophers. I’ve also met some of the Timberwolves and I attended a Minnesota Wild game last year.” His dream is to see the Twins play some day, saying, “I enjoy all kinds of sports. Baseball, hockey, basketball, football, I don’t really have a favorite.”

Besides loving sports, Marcus shows his compassionate side when it comes to animals. “I really love working with animals. I like it when I get to go to the humane society and walk the dogs or brush the cats. It’s nice and the animals really like it. I feel bad that they don’t have families and wish I could adopt a dog, but they won’t let me where I live.”

To learn more about Marcus, please contact Rachel FitzSimmons, Wendy's Wonderful Kids Recruiter at Hope Adoption/Ramsey County Adoption at 651-266-4085 or rachel.fitzsimmons@co.ramsey.mn.us.


Musical sibs display their talents

Kamaria, Kamron, Aaliyah, Moses and Jonah are five brothers and sisters who share a talent for singing and dancing. They need a family willing to nurture their talents and that is committed to adopting them together.

Kamron, age 8, enjoys singing, eating candy, going to the store and riding his bike. "I love school, especially recess," says Kamron who hopes to become a social worker like his twin sister because "they help take care of me." Kamron believes the most important things he needs from a new family is respect and to be treated well.

Twin sister Kamaria, 8, is a proud older sister who can be found playing dolls, coloring and doing puzzles. She often wears her favorite color of pink, and can be heard singing.

Aaliyah, age 7, spends her time singing, jumping rope, playing with friends and getting her hair done. Her favorite foods are pizza, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, hamburgers, hot dogs and cake. Aaliyah loves school with her favorite parts of the school day being learning, gym and technology. She aspires to be a model and will show off her runway walk with little prompting.

Five-year-old Moses is currently taking tap dancing lessons and will wear his tap shoes for any audience. Pizza, playing outside and jumping rope bring him happiness, but he admits, "One of my favorite things to do is talk on the phone." Moses proudly sings his ABC's and hopes to someday be a "police man on a motorcycle."

Jonah, age 4, is also taking tap dancing lessons and loves wearing his fancy black tap shoes whether an occasion is formal or not. When he grows up, Jonah wants to be "a daddy."

To learn more about adopting this sibling group of five, please contact Jacquelin Poole at Hennepin County at 612-348-4246 or jacquelin.poole@co.hennepin.mn.us.


Patience, commitment and mutual love are musts for Bryan, 17

At 17, Bryan characterizes himself as “polite, intelligent, and social young man who considers myself to be a true athlete. I like to keep busy after school through involvement in many after school activities. In the fall I play on the school soccer team, in the winter I play on the basketball team, and in the spring I am on the track team. After high school I plan on attending college and dream of becoming a therapist because I love to help people.”

“I am looking for an active family that spends time together and enjoys doing a variety of activities in their free time. It’s important that they devote some one-on-one with me on a regular basis. I love pets and would really enjoy a home with pets. I would like a family who is flexible, able to set good boundaries, and is willing to negotiate when setting up rules and expectations. I have two younger siblings whom I would like to stay in contact with. I’m open to many families; two moms, a mom and a dad, or just one mom. Patience, unconditional commitment and a mutual love of athletics is vital to making this work.”


Joe seeks dad who “tinkers in the garage”

Seventeen-year-old Joe says, “I’m looking for a family that can give me the support and encouragement that my life is lacking right now. I can take care of myself, but I would rather have a future with loving parents who can give me their time and love and help me overcome all the difficulty of my early life.”

“One of my strengths is that I like to work and keep busy. My ideal adoptive dad would love to tinker in the garage. I also need a parent who can help me with my school work which can be a big struggle for me, particularly reading. I am also interested in earning spending money by doing chores at home until I am able to work at a job. I am very open to different kinds of families and I hope you would be open to older kids like me who need and want a family.”

For more information on Bryan or Joe, contact Azur Walters, Targeted Recruiter at Children’s Home Society and Family Services, 651-255-2249 or awalters @chsfs.org


Mike Prefers Town over City Life

Eighteen-year-old Mike likes to be involved in a lot of sports and physical activities, saying, "My favorite sports are basketball and football. I also enjoy reading and doing crosswords in the newspaper. I am very creative. I like to make necklaces and bracelets out of hemp and beads. I also like to fix stuff and build stuff. I also enjoy reading books and learning new things. I am interested in furthering my education at a college or technical school. I don't like to sit down for long periods of time, I enjoy working and I like to keep myself busy." Mike has a wide variety of skills and interests and, like all teens, needs help and encouragement to focus his efforts. "I am not quite sure what I want at this time in my life. I would like to have somebody who would be like family, support and assist me when I am in need. I would like someone who I could trust and be around for awhile. I do not want to live in a big city because I have grown up in small towns most of my life. I would like someone who is able to help me through my struggles and teach me the skills I need to succeed in life."

The parents who Mike is hoping to find will give him the time he needs to create a lasting, forever relationship that is built on trust. Clear consistent guidelines and rules work best along with direct honest communication. Mike is open to different family structures, but one that includes a positive male role model would be most helpful. Mike prefers to be the oldest child and wants to maintain contact with his birth dad.

For more information about Mike, please contact Joe Wild Crea at Ampersand Families at 612-670-6485 or joe@ampersandfamilies.org
To learn more about any of Minnesota’s other Waiting Children, contact the Minnesota Adoption Resource Network at 612-861-7115 or go online to www.mnadopt.org.

Trysten

Trysten has both a bold spirit and the ability to fill a room with her laughter and smile. Possessing a ton of energy and excitement for life, Trysten loves being with people, especially when they can join in the fun and be goofy with her. Her humor promises to keep parents on their toes. Her laughter is punctuated by a snort. Trysten loves to be active, whether it's swimming, playing soccer, or playing yard games. She likes school and is proud of all her hard work. Hip-hop music is really special to Trysten, and singing together in the car is one of her favorite things to do. Trysten has a huge heart for animals and wants to be a groomer one day to make dogs feel loved. She also is very thoughtful and caring towards other people. She always asks, 'How are you doing?' if she senses you are upset.

Trysten is eager to have a family who will care about her enough to stick around. However, she is somewhat apprehensive about adoption because she has been hurt so many times. She wants a mom and a dad but would be okay with just a mom too. If Trysten had siblings, she would like them to be older, but she would be alright if she was the only child. She expresses an interest in living in a bigger city but would also like to have horses. She wants an active family who likes to do things together. The most important thing that Trysten wants a family to know about her is that she cares about things.

For more information about Trysten, please contact Meghan Berg, Permanency Specialist for Ampersand Families, at 952-693-1764 or meghan@ampersandfamilies.


Daleah and Jadon

Coming from a Christian biological family, Daleah, 11, and Jadon, 10, would like to be adopted by a family that shares their faith.

Like all siblings, Daleah and Jadon have varying interests and personalities. While Daleah is very talkative, outgoing and funny, Jadon is often very shy and quiet. Still, Jadon has a great sense of humor. He enjoys joking around with and teasing his foster parents.

Daleah is a fan of reading, Hannah Montana, Bratz dolls, tacos, handwriting, wearing jeans, snow, riding bike, and earrings. Jadon, on the other hand, likes to play Nintendo DS and other video games. Daleah believes she has a good memory. Jadon likes all types of food and enjoys school and spending time with close friends.

Their individual uniqueness will be important for an adoptive family to honor. They respond best to structured, consistent routines and actions. Daleah values long term commitments to her, no matter what, and it takes Jadon awhile to adjust to change. Both would like to have pets. Daleah hopes she and her brother will join an African American family.

For more information about Daleah and Jadon, please contact Sarah Johnson, Blue Earth County Child Protection Specialist, at 507-304-4194 or sarah.johnson@co.blue-earth.mn.us


Sung Juan

Sung Juan, aged 10, prefers to be called Juan. Creative and versatile, Juan can often be found climbing trees, being outside, drawing or painting. He has many interests that are constantly changing. Although his photo shows him proudly displaying an award from Karate tournaments, he has already moved on to the Boy Scouts that is filling the time he took for Karate lessons.

Juan takes great pride in his school work and enjoys learning. His teachers say he is a good student at school and actively participates in classroom discussion.

While equally proud of his African American and Korean bi-racial heritage, Juan would like opportunities to explore his Korean culture. Juan would benefit from a family where he can have experience one on one attention in a nurturing, structured family.

For more information on adopting Juan, contact Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter, Molly Cirillo at (651)266-4085 or molly.cirillo@co.ramsey.mn.us


Dante, 14

Dante is looking for a permanent place to call home. Dante enjoys being active and playing sports, especially baseball, football and most of all basketball. Dante says Ohio is his favorite college basketball team and it is his dream to play for them someday. Dante is very social and likes interacting with others. “I love talking, even tough it gets me in trouble sometimes,” says Dante.

When he is not playing basketball, Dante enjoys hanging with friends, listening to music and playing video games. Dante also loves board games and lists mystery and suspense as his favorite books to read. Dante is looking for a family that is fun, active and spends lots of quality time together. He is open to a two parent or single parent household, preferably a mom. The most important thing Dante wants in a family is understanding and patience as he learns to express his feelings. “I am a good guy looking for a good family, who is going to support me in my journey to adulthood and beyond,” says Dante.

For more information about Dante, please contact Amrithini Keefe, Child Specific Recruiter for Children’s Home Society & Family Services at 651-255-2441 or AKeefe@chsfs.org