c6951-54

Child's name: Demarcus, Destiny, Dahlia and Delonte
Number: C6951-54
Birthdate: 5/00, 11/01, 5/05 and 6/06
State: Oregon
Listed: March 2008

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DEMARCUS (5/00), DESTINY (11/01), DAHLIA (5/05) and DELONTE (6/06) are darling siblings who need to be placed together. Demarcus is very sweet and charming. A very active child who likes typical boys’ toys and loves superheros, he relishes one-on- one time with his significant adults. He is very fond of baby brother, Delonte, and enjoys holding him during sibling visits; he even parents him a bit. Destiny is very sweet. She likes to dress up and play with dolls and such. While initially shy with strangers, she warms up to new people that show interest in her. She is very kind and likes to share things with her younger siblings. Dahlia is a very active toddler who likes to follow in her big sister's footsteps. Dahlia loves having her hair done, and has the ability to sit patiently during the braiding or whatever is being done – that’s rather amazing given her age. Of course, Dahlia wants to be right in the midst of things and enjoys “helping.” Although content to play alone, she readily joins in activities with her siblings. Delonte who is just 11 months younger than Dahlia, is growing very quickly and weighs almost as much as she does. He’s learning to walk and loves to pull himself up. Delonte is very quick to imitate what his older siblings do and loves the attention they give him. They children, who came into foster care in September 2006, are not yet legally free.

Demarcus is benefiting from being in a first-grade behavioral classroom where he has a lot of individiual attention and structure. Overall, he is functioning in the low- average range for his age. While he likes to be helpful, he has difficulty focusing as well as following directions and instructions. He responds well to praise, yet has to be told multiple times not to do something. Feelings of frustration tend to trigger anger outbursts, which he feels remorse for and sincerely regreats later. His mental health treatment program includes counseling and medication therapy to help him develop better self control in managing his attention difficulties, high energy, and past trauma. He is in good physical health.

Destiny is an adorable little girl. She and Demarcus live together in the same foster home. Destiny is enjoying kindergarten tremendously this year. She is very proud of her work despite having some difficulty retaining information. Her mental health treatment includes counseling through play therapy to help her address her symptoms of past trauma. She, too, has medication therapy to manage her feelings of anxiety and sadness. Destiny is in good physical health.

Dahlia is a cutie who smiles often. She and Delonte live in the same foster home and have regular visits with their older siblings. While she is within the normal range of behavior for her age, she qualifies for Early Childhood services for receptive and expressive language and social delays. She receives one hour a week for speech therapy. When she came into care in September 2006, she had some symptoms of difficulty with her liver function, seizure activity, and a subdural hematoma on the left side of her brain. While her overall health is good, a neurological exam is being done to see if there are any concerns.

Delonte is a chubby, energetic baby. Developmentally about two months behind children his age, he is receiving physical therapy to increase his gross motor skills. He is in good health.

These children need an adoptive family experienced in parenting special needs children, especially those who have experienced neglect and trauma. The adoptive folks will need to be proactive in advocating for each child's educational, emotional, and behavioral issues. Demarcus and Destiny respond well to parents who are firm yet flexible and who bring patience and gentle good humor to helping them make behavioral changes. The younger children may have other needs that surface later on and will need to be monitored while they are developing. These children have much to offer a family. There will be an adoption specialist on hand to help the children during their transition into their new family.

Subsidy and Purchase of Service may be available.

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