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.
Bentley loves telling jokes and has a great sense of humor and a big smile. We featured him on 30 Days of Hope in 2022, and he’s still looking for a family to call his own.
“What did the triangle say to the circle? Wow, you’re pointless!” Bentley said laughing. “That’s all folks. Try to make it as funny as possible. Hopefully it’s funny.”
Bentley is always making others laugh. This 13-year-old is outgoing and smart.
“I really like to read, but I also really like to play video games even more than that and that’s good, because I’m like all the other kids these days. Roblox is actually my favorite video game,” he said.
“Bentley enjoys spending time with family. He loves to go swimming. He’s very good with technology. If you have any computer problems, he can fix them. He has a great sense of humor. And he definitely has a sense of wanting to belong and be loved,” said his social worker.
He really enjoys creating: it can be a story or a drawing. His imagination is always active and it really shines through in his work.
“He likes the interaction with family, he likes interaction with siblings and I think he would really enjoy playing board games and card games and doing fun activities like that and even incorporating fun snacks to make it a really great, you know, family, fun activity,” said his social worker.
He is sensitive and does well playing by himself.
“Belonging means to me: happiness,” he said when he was 11-years-old.
Bentley is on the Autism Spectrum and needs a patient and loving family. Bentley can be shy when first meeting new people. He prefers to have a schedule. He is a child in need of a loving, structured home.
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.
You can see more about Bentley here. I Belong Project™ videos are a project of Virginia’s Kids Belong in cooperation with America’s Kids Belong.