James

Description

Meet James! James is 8 years old and was adopted internationally when he was six years old. He is going into the 2^nd grade in his local public school. James was adopted into a family that has three biological children: a daughter who is 16, a daughter who is 13, and a son who is 7 (just 10 months younger than James. This close age typically causes trouble in a home with an adopted child and biological child). James was immediately intrigued by the concept of having a dad, but he has struggled from the start with coming under his new mom’s authority. He has also feels extreme competition and jealousy towards his similar-age brother, who is in the same grade as him (makes the situation even worse). James’s reactivity towards those two has made family life very difficult. For this reason, they are looking for a new family for James where he can be the youngest in the family by at least two years and he feels less competition for parental attention. They think he could really blossom as an only child or do well with a single dad, but they are open to considering all family types.

James is an active boy who loves to ride his bike and play outside. He loves playing on his family’s trampoline, kicking around a soccer ball, and making forts. He loves the water and has participated on his local swim team. James also loves to read – he’s been reading the Mercy Watson series, but he also enjoys fun early readers like Dr. Seuss that keep his attention.

James’s parents describe him as being helpful and resilient with an infectious laugh (and he has a smile that lights up a room!)  He is curious and smart. He loves helping his dad out in the yard and is a hard worker. He will rake leaves and stack wood (he just doesn’t like it when it’s super hot or buggy outside).

James likes to play with matchbox cars and using connector sets to build things. His favorite color is blue, but he likes all bright colors. He has a healthy appetite and really enjoys mac n’cheese, salad, chicken, rice, beans, and apples. He also loves peanut butter sandwiches. James is accustomed to going to church and really enjoys going to Sunday school and kids’ camps.

This is a private adoption, so a state or foster home study might not work. A private domestic homestudy is generally required. You will need to have a current, or easily-updated homestudy for this adoption. If your homestudy is current or you’re within 3 weeks of it being completed, feel free to inquire further. Our goal is to find a new, successful adoptive family for this child. We do not facilitate long-term respite care, nor do we allow for “trial periods” or visits between you and the child before the match is made and the child changes homes. By inquiring further, you are implying you have a desire to adopt, and not to offer other creative placement solutions.

Unless otherwise noted, we require that all of the children in our program be the youngest in their new family by at least two years. We ask that you honor this requirement and not ask us to bend the rules. These children need the chance to be the “baby” of the family and to receive much needed attention so they can attach and have a healthy start in their new home. When a sibling is close in age or younger than them, this will usually foster jealousy and competition which won’t lead to a successful placement. Thank you for understanding. If you are married, we also ask that you have been married for a minimum of 2.5 years before applying to adopt through our program.

Due to state laws, we are not able to place this child in CT, MA, NY, or DE. If you live in OR, you may need to travel to the child’s state to finalize this adoption or often finalization is virtual. If you live in WI, please let us know, as the adoption process may be longer and a bit more expensive than what is listed in our paperwork. NJ residents will need to check with their homestudy agency or an adoption attorney to see if their homestudy will work for this type of adoption. Some states are more work than others to get permission for the placement, and attorney fees are billed accordingly. If you live in AL, we will need a pre-placement meeting between the child’s parents and a social worker after you are matched to a child. This will be an additional cost to you.

If you have never had a home study before, we cannot help you adopt this child. However, we would love to share with you the process of starting a home study so you could be approved for a child in the near future. The easiest method is to Google “home study” and the name of your city. You can then call the agencies on that list and compare prices and timelines for getting a completed domestic homestudy. Once you’re within three weeks of having a completed homestudy, you can begin pursuing a match to one of our waiting children.

If you are a U.S. citizen living overseas, we may be able to work with you depending on a few details. Please let us know your situation.

Adoption is a legal process so there will be costs associated. This adoption may qualify for the IRS Adoption Tax Credit.

Contact us at secondchanceinfo@wiaa.org.

*To protect the privacy of our waiting children and their families, Second Chance does not share real names for our waiting children on the Internet. It is our policy to only share a snippet of a waiting child’s details as well as the type of adoptive family we are looking for. If you fit the POSTED REQUIREMENTS, are home study ready (or can be soon!), and interested in adding this child to your family, please write to us for an honest, in-depth profile on the child including medical, educational, and behavioral information and learn the full story of why this child needs a secondary adoption. Our program social worker and program director have worked together with the child’s family to carefully set the requirements for the new family. These requirements are not negotiable, so please honor the needs of this child by not asking us to bend them for you.