Vanessa Chan

Precious little Abigail (b. February 2013) is awaiting a forever home. She needs a family that will hold her and provide comfort. Abigail is very medically complicated and is in a persistent vegetative state. She requires assistance with mobility and rotation during the day and night. Abigail is a little girl that deserves one-on-one human interaction and affection. She does not seem to have the ability to speak or acknowledge people who provide care for her. Those who know her, though, fall in love with this darling little girl of Latinx descent.

Abigail’s delays and medical issues stem from Treacher Collins Syndrome. She has a history of Seizure disorder, Cerebral Palsy, Anoxic Brain Syndrome, Hardness of hearing and Blindness. She is dependent on a ventilator, trachea, and G-tube and receives physical and occupational therapy. Abigail tolerates being moved throughout the week and although she has multiple medical issues, she has been consistently stable in health.

Like everyone else, this little one deserves a chance to live with a family that will understand her needs and that will provide her with unconditional TLC. Could this be your family? If you are interested to learn more about this little angel, please contact Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services at 626-229-3790.

Meet Jonathan, a dynamo of a kid who enjoys expending energy – whether it’s jumping around on a trampoline, dribbling a basketball, or splashing around in the pool! Jonathan was born in December of 2012 and is a self-described “happy kid” who likes to make friends and spend time engaging with people. Jonathan wants to be a police officer when he grows up to help ensure that “no one gets hurt or has to go to jail.”

Jonathan has been able to tolerate virtual school and is receiving services to assist him in dealing with frustrations and to communicate when he is angry or upset.
Jonathan is very aware that he has many food allergies, including being allergic to eggs, milk, and fish. He does, however, enjoy foods such as apples, bananas, carrots, and apple sauce. Jonathan has Purine and Pyrimidine Metabolism Disorder which entails the use of a G-tube to meet some of his dietary needs. Jonathan is diagnosed with ADHD and PTSD for which he is on a medication regimen and receiving Wraparound services. He is also benefitting from Regional Center services such as speech and language therapy with specialized academic instruction to help with a Mild Intellectual Disability.

Jonathan is hoping to join a forever family that will help him reach his full potential and will also enjoy playing and finding joy in the here and now. If you can picture Jonathan as part of your family’s portrait, let us know. We’re ready to help you bring Jonathan’s future into focus! Photo Credit: Aura Aguirre

Eric (born in August 2010) is a charming and engaging boy, full of curiosity! Eric is genuinely interested in learning about people, circumstances and the world around him. As you can imagine, he’s also talkative and asks a lot of questions. Unusual for someone his age, video games and television do not rule Eric’s attention as he prefers to do hands-on activities. Eric has a mechanical aptitude in that he loves to take things apart and put them back together and he wants to know how things work. Eric is also athletic and loves to engage in physical and sporting activities that require running and physical exertion.

Eric’s physical coordination shines through when engaged in some of his favorites such as basketball, baseball, soccer and riding bike. Keeping active and engaged in activities is very therapeutic for Eric and helps him retain his focus. Eric hasn’t expressed particular career interests for when he grows up. For now, finding his way into a forever family will help nurture such future aspirations. Eric is loyal to those he cares about and he has some biological family connections he would like to keep.

The adoptive family Eric would like to be part of would be sensitive to and supportive of such connections. Eric envisions having parents who would allow him to (help) cook meals and build things. Eric also likes the idea of having a pet, a cat in particular. If you can envision Eric as a permanent part of your enclave, please reach out to us. We want to help to help Eric find the family he fits into and in which he can become all that he is meant to be! Photo Credit: America’s Kids Belong

Robert Michael (b. 6/2010) is an adventurous, outdoorsy kid who loves going on hikes, exploring nature and climbing trees. And with his love of being outdoors and in nature, it’s a good thing that Robert Michael (who often goes by Michael) is also curious about and fascinated by… bugs! And in addition to bugs, Michael says he like animals in general and likes to ride horses. Michael likes to keep active, enjoys exercising, and dreams of playing football as a career when he grows up. When he is not outside playing, Michael likes to play video games. He also likes building things and even identifies being an engineer as a back-up career.

When asked what’s he’s good at, Michael responded “loving a family” and he pictures himself asking for hugs and checking in with other members of his forever family to see how they are doing. Michael is friendly and gets along with his peers. He identifies as Christian and would like a family that supports his faith and attends church on a regular basis. If you can envision Robert Michael as part of your family flock, please let us know. We want to see him adopted and moving onward with his future family! Photo Credit: America’s Kids Belong

Robert (b. 9/2010) is friendly, funny and outgoing — and definitely doesn’t mind being the center of attention! He’s easy to engage in conversation and delights in sharing the details of his day. Robert’s hobbies include playing board games, video games, basketball, and swimming. Robert is in middle school and science is his favorite subject.
Robert tends to be a generous and caring friend to others, and he is open to and excited about being a part of a forever family. If you feel your family might be the right one for Robert, please let us know. Seeing Robert with a sense of security and settled in with an adoptive family will feel right as rain. Photo Credit: Laura Gallegos

Meet Alexander! He is a beautiful little boy inside and out. Alexander is described as a very happy child. He likes to watch movies and listen to audio books. Alexander is a gentle soul with a heart of gold. Alexander is not fully independent and requires a wheelchair for mobility, however, he is able to utilize a gait trainer from time to time. Alexander is able to reach out to people that are familiar to him. Alexander also really enjoys pet therapy time and arts and crafts. He really enjoys having stuffed animals around him, it seems as though he likes their feeling of coziness. He is generally event tempered, but can get a bit irritated when his routine is interrupted.

Alexander is diagnosed with XQ22.1 which is a genetic disorder. He is able to eat solids but is mostly dependent on a G-tube for all his nutrition needs. He really enjoys food and delights in different textures and tastes. Alexander has developmental delays and has been benefitting from range of motion therapy. Alexander is non-verbal and communicates with gestures.

Alexander was born in September of 2014 and is of African-American descent. Are you up to the challenge and reward of raising this awesome kid?

“Olive” [b. January 2009] is a bright, intelligent, artistic, likeable, and beautiful young lady. Olive (pronouns are she / her) also discovered fencing, not long ago -which she enjoys. Olive has a desire to learn and do well academically now that she is in high school. Olive gets along well with other peers. Olive likes to play video games as well, and can spend a couple of hours just doing so. Olive enjoys eating home cooked meals, but she won’t say no to doing take-out once in a while.
Olive wishes to improve academically and the school is helping Olive bring her academic performance up to grade level. Olive is also making steady progress in therapy towards learning to better handle and appropriately express her feelings/emotions/impulse control, and personal boundaries. Olive’s self-esteem and self-advocacy are improving as well.
Olive would like to find an adoptive family that is patient and understanding and would be open to them maintaining a relationship with Olive’s younger half-siblings. If you think your family might be a good fit for Olive, please let us know. We are ready to help make Olive’s tomorrow a brighter one as part of an adoptive family.
Photo Credit: Will Wong

Gabriel [b. May 2013] is a sweet, social and active little boy who is into dinosaurs! Gabriel even wonders what it would be like to go back in time and live among the dinosaurs to see how they lived. Gabriel has participated in swimming lessons and Science/Robotics Camp, both of which he enjoyed very much and made him feel good about himself. He also enjoys going to the park to run around and play with other kids. Gabriel is receiving services to assist him with a speech delay as well as with learning ways to better communicate his feelings in positive ways. Gabriel continues to make slow but steady progress in school and this, too, makes him happy.

Rosalina [b. April 2014] is a quiet little girl who enjoys playing with her siblings as well as with her dolls and stuffed animals. She likes to help around the house with things she is able to do, such as making her own bed and folding and putting away her clothing. Rosalina loves going to the park where there is plenty of space to run and actively play on the swings, slides, monkey bars and jungle gym. Rosalina is receiving speech therapy services to address a speech disorder which can make it hard to understand what she is saying at times. While Rosalina is too young to know what she wants to be when she grows up, for now she’s happy to be a princess one day, a mommy to her dolls another day, or an artist on other given days.

Anastasia [b. September 2015] is an active and social little girl who is already displaying some traits of a natural born leader! She enjoys going to school and is doing well in her classes. Ana, as she is often referred to, enjoys playing games with her siblings or going to the park to play on the swings and monkey bars. She’s learning new ways to express her feelings in therapy, but one thing that seems clear is that this girl likes to play and have fun!

These “three peas” are looking to grow up together as part of the same “family pod”. If you think your family has what it takes to be a good fit for Gabriel, Rosalina & Anastasia, please let us know. We trust that the right adoptive family will provide them the stable and supportive shell from which they’ll thrive! Photo Credit – Children’s Action Network

Dontez (May 2013) is a sweet and outgoing kid who enjoys playing video games, coloring, drawing, playing football and hanging out with his friends. He would like to travel and go on adventures someday. While Dontez has been described as a “quick learner” when it comes to some things, school can be challenging due to a difficulty focusing. Dontez is utilizing the academic support available and is working hard to catch up. Dontez would benefit from a nurturing adoptive family that would provide him with the structure he needs. With the right resources at school as well as within an adoptive family, Dontez is sure to do well. Photo Credit: Jason Elias

Meet Kieley (b. October 2012), a warm and engaging youth with a quick smile and a good sense of humor. Kieley likes to have fun, which for Kieley can include some dancing and singing. Kieley likes singing so much that she is giving some thought to joining a choir where she could develop her vocal skills and become a better singer. Kieley also enjoys doing cheer and would like to join a cheer team in the future. When it comes to how to spend some downtime, Kieley enjoys getting her hair and nails done.
Kieley enjoys going to school where she gets to interact with her friends. She is getting assistance from the school to help her improve her academic progress in the areas of need. Kieley is able to hold her own in conversations and is comfortable speaking to her strengths as well as her challenges. Kieley can picture herself as part of an active and supportive family – perhaps even one with a large extended family where she might have cousins and whatnot. If you can envision incorporating Kieley into your family, please let us know. We want Kieley to find the family that can help her be all that she can be! Photo Credit: Peter Christiansen Valli