Samantha
Samantha is a bright 10-year-old girl of Caucasian descent who describes herself as artistic and kind. In her free time, Samantha enjoys gymnastics, arts and crafts, drawing, baking, playing soccer and participating in Girl Scouts. If given the opportunity to meet any person or character, Samantha names Claudine Wolf from Monster High. Samantha wants to be a singer when she grows up and her favorite singer she listens to is Taylor Swift. When asked what superpower she would want, Samantha states she would like to fly. Samantha is in the fourth grade and is supported by an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to assist with educational needs. Samantha likes school, particularly writing and of course recess. Samantha is a strong advocate for herself. She is able to verbalize her needs and feelings without prompting. Samantha greatly benefits from clear, concise rules and limit setting from her caretakers.
Samantha would do best in a home with a single mom or a two-parent family. If there are other children in the home, they should not be close in age to Samantha. Samantha would thrive in a family that could give her a lot of attention and help her reach her fullest potential. A pre-adoptive family will need to maintain contact with Samantha’s relatives through phone and visitation. Samantha would like a family with pets (maybe a dog) and older siblings.
How do I adopt a child from foster care?
To adopt a child from foster care, you must go through a training, interview and matching process. To begin, call the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE), for referrals to agencies in your area. After submitting an initial application, a social worker will meet with you, then refer you for the Massachusetts Approach to Partnerships in Parenting (MAPP) training. After completing the MAPP course, you’ll have meetings with a social worker who will conduct your “homestudy” to explore adoption possibilities with you and begin to match you with a waiting child. It’s important to balance patience with persistence to make a match that will build a lifelong family.
To learn more about Samantha, and about adoption from foster care, call the MARE at 617-54-ADOPT (617-542-3678) or visit www.mareinc.org. The sooner you call, the sooner a waiting child will have “a permanent place to call HOME.”
