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DANIEL (8/93) is an enthusiastic football fan and really loves sports! Some of his other favorite activities include watching TV and movies and playing video and board games. Physically fit and healthy, Daniel has dark hair and eyes, a playful smile, and dimples. He is careful of his appearance and takes pride in wearing fashionable clothes and shoes. Daniel is very likable, articulate, and personable!

Developmentally on target, Daniel is now in eighth grade for the 2007-2008 school year. At school, Daniel does well in computers, art, history and physical education/sports. Daniel tells adults that if he likes a subject he works hard and does B average work, and if he doesn’t like a subject he doesn’t work as hard and gets C grades or below. He really enjoys seeing his friends and looks up to teachers who are fun but pretty strict in how they run their classroom. While academics can be a struggle for Daniel, a greater challenge can be learning how to deal with confrontations with peers. Daniel is pretty aware that he needs time to cool off after a confrontation, but at school he does not always have this opportunity and it has lead to incidents with peers.

Daniel likes to please the significant adults in his life. He has the ability to get along well with others and is reported to be a good listener. Since coming into care in 1994, Daniel has experienced multiple placements and a number of traumatic losses. He is hesitant to trust and has strong fears of rejection. Participation in counseling has benefited Daniel in the past, and he is again participating in therapy. The focus is to help him talk about his feelings of grief and abandonment, and to help him develop better coping skills and internal controls. Daniel’s tendency to roughhouse can escalate and that, along with a tendency to be impulsive and not think of consequences, can get him into trouble. Daniel also has some mood fluctuations that do not appear to be related to a chemical imbalance. Being willing to participate with Daniel in family counseling during his adoption transition could be a wonderful way for his new folk(s) to show him that they care and want him to be part of their family.

Daniel has a handful of important connections that this adoptive family will need to help him honor. His adoptive family needs to be able to help Daniel take pride in his Hispanic heritage and feel connected to the Hispanic community. Daniel also has some connections to past caregivers that are very important to him and which need to be maintained.

While Daniel’s worker is especially interested in hearing from couples with an active, involved dad, she also wants to hear from those exceptional single dads and moms who have strong support systems and the moxie and skills to parent and guide a young teen. Having past experience with at-risk Youth would be a big plus in helping Daniel move through his teenage years in positive ways. A person who worked with Daniel in the past summed up the characteristics of a family that might do best with Daniel with these words: “…patient, observant, consistent, persistent, difficult to rattle, active, and encouraging.” In an accepting environment with clear boundaries and clear consequences, administered with patience and love, Daniel will continue to grow!

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