Join our free virtual info session to learn how adoption from foster care works in Washington state.

Meet Jillantie

Jillantie is excited to share some of his story through our In-Depth Profiles®, a NWAE project that empowers teens to speak directly to potential adoptive families. Learn more about In-Depth Profiles.

Expert at: Lego creations
Secret talent: Befriending cats
Wants to be: A firefighter
Known for: His humor

Planes, trains, fire trucks and cranes! Jillantie is an engineer in the making. He loves anything with an engine, and anything he can build or take apart. Legos are a favorite of Jillantie’s which he uses to build entire cities, and not just imaginary cities, he’s built Seattle, New York, Chicago and more!

Jillantie is also very athletic. He loves basketball, soccer, gymnastics and just running around to get his energy out. He will gladly flaunt his talents to get the praise and attention he desires and deserves.

For his In-Depth Profile® Jillantie wanted to tell potential families about himself and show off some of his sports skills.


Jillantie’s
team describes him as, “articulate and very loving.” He has a huge capacity for empathy, a great
personality and a good sense of humor. He is creative and imaginative and processes things well. Jillantie relates well when there is a playful atmosphere, and he loves to joke around with adults who can match his wit and humor. Jillantie also appreciates quiet time and sharing snuggles on the couch. He especially loves having a good story read to him or watching movies with his favorite people.

Heading into 7th grade Jillantie has come a long way in the classroom. With the support of a one-on-one, he is learning to self-regulate and process his emotions well. He’s also building good relationships with his teachers, peers and caregivers. One of his favorite things to do at school is present his Lego creations to the kindergarten classes. He’s very sweet when sharing and interacting with the younger kids.


When he grows up,
Jillantie has told his team that he wants to be
a policeman or a fireman. He has full faith in these heroes of our community and has a lot of trust and respect for authority figures.

Jillantie’s team believes a two-parent household will be the best fit for him, especially if at least one is a stay-at-home parent. Jillantie needs and wants a lot of one-on-one time, attention, and support. Jillantie has expressed that he would like a mom and a dad, but a two-mom family could be a good fit as well. Given the time, love and structure of a supportive family, Jillantie will make strides in his social-emotional and educational progress.

If you can see Jillantie in your family, please reach out to us! We’re excited to find him the permanent family that he wants and deserves.



Photos by Stefanie Felix in partnership with Adopt-A-Child Photography.

Beyond the Profile: Getting to collaborate with Jillantie on his In-Depth Profile was such a fun experience. He knew exactly what he wanted to do for his video right from the start and really owned the project throughout the shooting day. He was also adorably professional in explaining to me how to prompt his thoughts, what to capture on camera and the order to put his topics into. He even called cuts when he didn’t like how a take was going! He says he wants to be a firefighter when he grows up, but if that doesn’t work out for him I could see him having a future in movie making.

I also really enjoyed seeing him interact with his caregivers. It was abundantly clear that Jillantie creates strong bonds with the people in his life, and values those relationships. He is very open in talking about his future and his hopes to find a family, and he is impressively self-aware.

When we were finished capturing all of his In-Depth Profile content he wanted to include, he was very curious about the next steps – asking about the editing process, when he’d get to see it, and if we could make more videos in the future!

When it was time for me to leave he gave me a big hug and thanked me which just melted my heart. As his caregivers pointed out, Jillantie is an incredibly warm, compassionate teen. And like all of the adults in Jillantie’s life, I can’t wait for him to find the loving, supportive family he deserves.

~ Ginger Seslar, Youth Engagement Specialist

Could you see Jillantie as part of your family?