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Ceaser: 30 Days of Hope

“He tells me all the time, he just wants to be labeled as a normal kid, not a foster kid.”

There are about 800 children who are ready for adoption in Virginia. They are ready to find a permanent and loving forever family. 10 News is highlighting one child who needs a home every day in November during 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. 2024 marks the eighth year 10 News is doing this series.


Ceaser loves playing games more than watching them—anything from basketball to football, to video games. The 13-year-old loves cooking too, especially breakfast and seafood. He told us about some shrimp he cooked with Old Bay seasoning, along with rice and corn that everyone loved.

The teen says band is his favorite part of school and he can play any instrument.

“I like the sounds, mostly,” he said, adding he can play the bass from orchestra, the glockenspiel, snare drums and a whole drum set.

The 13-year-old also knows how to be a good friend.

“Some people go through things, so some people need help at a certain time, and I need to help them. I’m that friend that’s there for somebody because I know I’ve experienced it, and other people, have gone through stuff, so I can tell them about my experience and bring them around, or they can do the opposite for me because I don’t know everything,” said Ceaser.

“Ceaser, he’s a good kid. He really is very passionate, very determined in everything he does [and] sometimes a little stubborn. But I feel like every kid is kind of that way,” said Natalie Spears, a family services specialist from the Pittsylvania County Department of Social Services.

“He’s definitely a really good kid, though he’s been in foster care for a little over two years now, about that time frame, but he’s very determined that he’s going to be okay eventually, that he’s gonna get out of where he is, and he’s going to find a family, and that he’s going to progress,” said Spears.

Spears says Ceaser needs a family that’s open-minded and understanding.

“I think he’s been in a lot of situations where he feels like he’s not wanted, so I think he needs a family that would be able to give him constant reassurance. He’s always scared that he’s just somewhere where people don’t want him, or that they’re not interested in him, or that they don’t care. So somebody that’s going to show him that they care,” said Spears.

Ceaser said if he could pick the perfect family, it would be “Somebody that I can trust because trust goes a long way.”

The 13-year-old wants what every child wants: love and a place to belong.

“He tells me all the time, he just wants to be labeled as a normal kid, not a foster kid. He wants people to see past that title because he’s more than just a foster kid,” said Spears.

Ready to take the next step?

Frequently asked questions about foster care and adoption in Virginia can be found here.

If you have questions about foster care/adoption or are interested in starting the process, contact VDSS Division of Family Services Adoption Recruitment Coordinator at adoptioninquiries@dss.virginia.gov.

To see all the 30 Days of Hope stories and children we are featuring, visit us here.


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About the Author
Jenna Zibton headshot

You can see Jenna weekday mornings at the anchor desk on WSLS 10 Today from 5-7 a.m. She also leads our monthly Solutionaries Series, where we highlight the creative thinkers and doers working to make the world a better place.

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