There are more than 700 children who are ready for adoption in Virginia. They are ready to find a permanent and loving forever family. 10 News is profiling one child who needs a home every day during the hours of 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. in 30 Days of Hope. The children are all ages and races and were put into foster care due to no fault of their own. 2022 marks the sixth year 10 News is doing this series.
Many of the kids who can be adopted across Virginia are teens. They’re in danger of aging out of foster care without a family to call on for support when they need it, a home to go to for the holidays or people to call for advice.
Collin has been in foster care since the age of four and is looking for a family of his own!
“Anyone that I see cares about me, I consider my family because I don’t really have one right now. But I think it’s something that gives you a chance to love someone else and just be loved. Having someone to love, someone to love me and then help me grow up and be a good person could be in the future. Just someone that can trust me, have trust with me,” said the 13-year-old.
Collin enjoys movies, music and video games. He loves sports, especially basketball, and writes his own music.
“Some things that my friends will say about me [are] I’m chill. I’m loving, I’m kind, I have nice hair,” he said. “What I’m good at is basketball, basically sports. I like writing music.”
He also enjoys riding his bike and rollerblading outside with friends.
“The perfect holiday I think is to me is Christmas, or if I can make one on my own, it would be similar to Christmas but it would be during summer. So like a beach holiday, where you go to the beach. You spend time with your family. I’d probably call it summer vacay,” he said with a smile.
Collin wants his driver’s license when he’s 16, a work permit when old enough and to attend a trade program after high school.
“I want to be someone that does pipe fitting. So make a lot of money and that’s also because I enjoy that job and already know a lot about it,” he said.
His wish is for a home that consists of a mother and father, caring adults, a sister, love, and mutual respect.
Collin enjoys 1:1 attention from adults and an ideal day for him would be to spend 1:1 time with a trusted, caring and interested adult who will interact and play with him.
Although shy at first, Collin has a smile that lights up a room. Could you be the family that Collin needs to help him thrive?
If you have questions about Collin foster care/adoption, contact VDSS Division of Family Services Adoption Recruitment Coordinator, at adoptioninquiries@dss.virginia.gov.
You can see more about him here. I Belong Project™ videos are a project of Virginia’s Kids Belong in cooperation with America’s Kids Belong.
To see other 30 Days of Hope stories visit us here.
We also have a list of frequently asked questions about foster care and adoption including the qualifications, cost, and training required in this link.