Sunday's Child

Amanda hopes for a family that loves to swim

July 5, 2009

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“Hi, my name is Amanda. I like to wear nice clothes, play board games, and do puzzles.’’

Amanda is a beautiful 10-year-old who can be shy and quiet around new acquaintances. With some time to warm up, she becomes engaging. Generally cheerful, Amanda is sensitive and thrives on attention and praise.

Coloring, drawing, and playing computer games are things Amanda likes to do. She is a good swimmer and enjoys it. And she loves dressing up in nice clothes and having her nails polished.

Amanda has some cognitive delays but performs well in school and works very hard. She has made significant progress over the past year and now attends a school specifically for children who have academic challenges. She receives therapy weekly to help her deal with her feelings and emotions related to loss and separation.

Legally free for adoption, the ideal family for Amanda is one that will be calm, firm, and consistent in their parenting style. A single or two-parent home with older or no other children and experience in parenting children with cognitive delays would be best. Amanda’s special wish is to have a loving family and a swimming pool.

How do I adopt a child from foster care?

You must go through a training, interview, and matching process that can take a year or two. To begin, call the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) for referrals to agencies in your area. A social worker will meet with you, then refer you for the Massachusetts Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP) training. After completing the MAPP course, you will have meetings with a social worker who will conduct your home study to explore adoption possibilities with you and begin to match you with a waiting child. It’s important to balance patience with persistence to make a match that will build a lifelong family.

To learn more about Amanda, and about adoption from foster care, call MARE at 617-54-ADOPT (617-542-3678) or visit www.mareinc .org. The sooner you call, the sooner a waiting child will have “a permanent place to call home.’’