Editor's Note: Window on the Clearwater has joined the Wednesday's Child network to help spread the word about children that are waiting for families to give them the loving care that they need. Each Wednesday we will profile a different child. For more information about Wednesday's Child and how you can be involved check the web site at: http://www.idahowednesdayschild.org/.

Shyanne & Travis

Age: 12-13

More than anything, these two sweet kids, Shyanne and Travis, want to be together. They look forward to the day a family will provide the love, structure, and support they need. A family's willingness to help them stay connected with extended family will be the cornerstone of building their trust in relationships that last. Their unique bond and obvious care and concern for one another is inspiring. They have been through many difficult things together, and now they want to begin making fun, positive memories together in a safe and loving family.

Shyanne

"Hi, my name is Shyanne. I'm a happy girl and I enjoy laughing. I love nature and being outdoors--like visiting the ocean. I would love living out in the country where there are animals--horses, cows, sheep, goats, chickens, guinea pigs, and llamas. I also like to write stories. I like volleyball and basketball. I like science at school.

The family I dream of will be artistic, have fun together--go on trips and do things together."

Shyanne is a spunky, fun, blossoming teenage girl. She enjoys doing her hair, makeup, and nails and looking nice. She would love to have a mom or older sister who would go shopping or to the salon with her, and give her fashion tips. Shyanne loves arts and crafts, including scrapbooking and other domestic activities, as well as being active outside. She also loves to sing and has a beautiful voice. She has considered joining choir at school, but may need some encouragement to explore this talent. She mostly loves to sing with her brother, and together they make a very nice duet! They also both know all the words to most pop songs on the radio!

Shyanne does like to read, especially fiction, but it has not been easy for her. Math is her least favorite subject and science her favorite. Currently on an IEP, she needs creative advocates who will break up study sessions and make learning fun, rather than a drudgery that stretches on and on. Gentle supervision, frequent prompts, and breaking up study time with rewards of fun attention are important ways to help her study at home.

Shyanne responds to folks who communicate well, are patient, set fair rules, keep their word and show respect for each other and their children. It will take time and effort to gain Shyanne's trust and affection, so patience and consistency will be a key to successfully parenting Shyanne. She worries constantly about her physical safety and needs verbal and visual assurances that her home and the people in it are safe and will not harm her.

Integrity is very important to Shyanne and a quality she depends upon as she follows your example. Parents who understand the bond between two children who have survived hard things together will also be more understanding of their need to comfort each other, even when one is receiving a consequence for breaking a rule. This is very important to Shyanne and should be honored. She will need continued professional resources such as counseling, medication management, and a professional who can guide the family's work in attachment building and resilience after childhood trauma.

Travis

"Hi, I'm Travis. I'm mostly quiet and shy, except when I'm with my sister and then we laugh together, and sing, and have fun. I miss her a lot and want to be in a family where we can be together.

I like to go camping and fishing and to ride 4-wheelers. I like to go Geocaching, play games, and help my foster dad build stuff. I also really like gymnastics. I can do a cartwheel already and am going to start gymnastics class soon. It is my favorite thing. I also like to go to youth group every week because they do fun activities.

I would like a mom and dad who will love me and Shyanne and take care of us and not yell. I want the rules to be fair and consequences are OK, but not to sit in my room for two hours, maybe just ten minutes. I would like a family that goes to church."

Travis's strengths are that he likes to please adults and is genuinely kind, thoughtful, and helpful. He is always the first to say thank you, and to act if he sees a need he can meet. He has a great sense of humor and a wonderful smile. He thrives on positive attention from adults. He is enjoyable and happy a lot of the time.

Travis has made tremendous progress in the school setting this year. He is attending a public junior high and while he spends most of his day in a supported classroom setting, he has also done very well in a few general education class settings. He has been 'caught being good' several times; earning tickets that can be exchanged for items from the school store. He happily reported that he got tickets for, "picking up litter, picking up posters that fell down, helping with the garden, and being nice to other kids."

More difficult areas of need are related to times when Travis' behavior may be hard to understand or when he feels less lovable. Simply put, Travis needs patience when folks may feel they have none left. Travis doesn't learn, process, or remember in the same the way most other kids can. He is not usually capable of cause and effect learning. Travis needs a very structured home and parents who can give information in small doses. He needs parents who can help him reach developmental milestones without expecting him to do it at the same rate as other children. Travis can struggle to take accountability for his actions, or understand other people's perspectives. He can also get 'stuck' on certain ideas or worries and has a hard time moving past them. He needs parents who will give gentle and consistent reminders of appropriate behaviors and social interactions. Best results will be achieved when Travis feels safe, loved, supported, and that he can work at his own pace to accomplish tasks and goals.

The close supervision of at least one patient at-home parent will be a must. Travis can get along with other children if there is an adult to help him interpret social cues and to coach his interactions.

These children have been apart for too long. They want and need a stable, dependable family where they can be together --one that won't favor one child or a birth child over another. They long for humorous, warm-hearted parents who are, above all, knowledgeable about how to strengthen resilience through safe, positive relationships. A calm, nurturing, consistent environment that supports each child's unique strengths and abilities, and allows for mistakes and setbacks, will be important to successful family integration and bonding. If you are the parents that can provide a safe place for two bonded siblings to widen their circle of trust and love to include a forever family, the adoption team wants to hear from you! Call the CareLine today for more information.

Portrait by Barb from Barb Bergeson Studio Gallery

To find out more about Shyanne & Travis, adoption or becoming a foster parent, email the Idaho CareLine (Please include your zip code and city.) or call 1-800-926-2588. You may be asked to provide this reference number: 30504.

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