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 shared the stories of one child who needs a home every day in November, 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. The need is so great, we are continuing to share more children and their stories in December. 2022 marks the sixth year 10 News is doing this series.
14-year-old Justin loves fishing and has his own fishing rod, bait, and tackle box.
“He’s a very resilient kid. He does like video games like all kids do. He does occasionally like to go outdoors. He likes the zoo,” said one of his social workers, who adds that Justin also likes playing ping pong and basketball. “But mostly he’s reserved and stays in his room most of the time. If you can coax him to come out, he will come out and do certain activities.”
Justin said, “I like to stay in my room, without any interruptions. I like tomatoes. Spaghetti, tomato soup, I’ll eat pizza, lasagna.”
At times strong-willed and at times reserved, Justin knows what he likes and knows who he is. He enjoys Vietnamese food and culture and it’s something he would like to keep.
“Justin doesn’t like to stand out. So he really would like to be in a home where everybody looks like him. He prefers an Asian American home. I would say he really enjoys going to certain parks, like the trampoline park. He likes that. He likes to jump on the trampoline. He does like math and science, so I think that will be a major part of his future. Maybe something like engineering or something to that effect,” said the worker.
Justin wants to be in an active family that does weekend activities such as playing board games, eating out together, and having quality family time. Could you be the forever family for Justin?
If you have questions about Justin or foster care/adoption, contact the 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.