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 teen who loves baking and science. She’s just one of the many kids who can be adopted in Virginia.
“I want to be in a family really, really bad and I just want to be supported through my future,” said Lily.
The 15-year-old wants parents to love her.
“In a family, I want just to be loved for who I am, for who I want to be, and [I want them to] respect my decisions, not try to force me to be someone I’m not,” said Lily. “I want to belong in a family because my whole life I’ve had a bunch of families and you don’t feel that connection with that family as soon as you get there, but you learn how to feel that connection with the family. It feels awesome; you feel happy; you feel joyful. It’s just an awesome feeling to have to know that someone’s there for you when you really need them and you can call them family because they are your family.”
She wants to be a veterinarian
“I am in love with science. You learn a bunch of things in science, not something you already know. Most people don’t like science, but I’ve always wanted to be a veterinarian, so science, I’m naturally really good at it. I’m in advanced biology right now,” said the teen.
She also likes baking and coming up with unique flavors and combinations.
“I love mixing things and experimenting on new things,” she said. “My friends would describe me as loyal. I’m always there for them when they need me, and I’m resilient. I stand right back up after falling down.”
She would like a family that is active and does things in the community. Will you be the family who will be there to support Lily in her future and love her for who she is?
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 Lily 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.