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

Legally free, JACK (10/96) can be an easy boy to like, especially when he feels happy and safe, as he is these days in his long-term residential treatment program. There are many adults in Jack’s corner who are truly fond of him and want him to succeed. Among them are teachers, child care staff, and therapists at his residential treatment center, folks who’ve known him in the past, and his workers – past and present. When things are going well, Jack’s engaging personality and his desire to be successful and please adults are very apparent. He’s good at organizing things, and believe it or not, he loves to clean! He does lots of it, too, around his residential cottage and the greater treatment center. He even likes to rake leaves. While he is good at following rules for indoor games, his sense of competition tends to take over when he’s playing outdoor games. He follows the rules as long as he is ahead, but tends to let the rules lapse a bit if he’s losing. On a recent visit to his residential treatment program, his new worker found Jack to be very engaging and interested in getting acquainted with her. He invited to have dinner at the center in the near future, and enjoyed showing her around the facility, including his own room. He even introduced her (very politely) to his roommate.

Jack came into care most recently in April 2005. Jack behavioral issues likely have both environmental and biological roots.

A program of intensive, long-term socialization coaching has been in place since early 2006 to help Jack lessen his impulsiveness and feelings of frustration. His cottage coordinator has stated that Jack is performing much better now in a number of areas then when he first came into residential care. In school, he has extra supports for behavior, which is helping him to be able to stay seated in his chair for longer periods of time and to raise his hand when he wants to speak. Now in fifth grade, he’s been able to maintain well in the classroom this year, and academically, he’s just a year behind. His teacher really likes him, which says a lot.

His worker hopes to identify a family for Jack while he is still in his treatment center so that prospective adoptive folk(s) could become acquainted with him in a supportive environment and have childcare and counseling staff available to help them understand his issues and learn what behavioral techniques/tools may be useful to him in reclaiming his life.

Jack is clearly not a child for the faint of heart, but we know that there are couples and single moms and dads out there (albeit with strong support systems of family and friends, and nearby therapy resources) who have experience with children who have challenging behavioral special needs. If you have the desire to make a difference in this boy’s world and have the stamina and energy to learn how to be there for him in helpful ways, please give us a call. Jack’s adoptive family will be asked to allow some level of openness with his siblings (C6699 & C6700) and with his birth parents.

Subsidy and Purchase of Service may be available.

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