There are more than 750 children who are ready for adoption in Virginia. They are ready to find a permanent and loving forever family. 10 News is sharing the stories of one child who needs a home every day in November in 30 Days of Hope. The children are of all ages and races and were put into foster care due to no fault of their own. 2023 marks the seventh year 10 News is doing this series.
A strong teen who is fun, loving and always tries to find a positive side to things. It is incredibly rare for Amelia to not have a smile on her face.
“I’m good at drawing, singing and rapping,” said the 16-year-old.
She said love and trust are important in any relationship. She wants a family who will love her and encourage her.
“My three wishes are to have a family, to not be kicked out of a home for something I did that I couldn’t control and to find someone who will help me go through what I went through,” said Amelia, who wishes to have a family who will help her grow and most importantly, not give up on her. “Belonging means, to me, that I’m not abandoned; I’m not taken out of the home for no reason; I’m not being put in placement after placement because I need help. Some will not always be there for me because I want to be happy.”
The teen is vastly intelligent and always willing to learn new things, help and be a part of the community.
“One of my favorite things to do when I’m outside is climb trees, get dirty, ride bikes, [and] skateboard. My favorite thing to do when I’m inside is sleep,” she said.
Amelia wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up because she loves animals
Could you be the family to never give up on Amelia and show her what love and trust can really mean?
There are about 5,000 children in Virginia’s foster care program and more than 750 of those children can be adopted. If you have questions about foster care/adoption, contact the VDSS Division of Family Services Adoption Recruitment Coordinator, at adoptioninquiries@dss.virginia.gov.
You can see more about Amelia 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.