Window on the Clearwater
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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/.

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Dorrie

Ages: 9

"Hi, my name is Dorrie. I love to sing and dance, and everyone tells me I have a good voice. I want to be a professional singer when I grow up. I like to do lots of other things, too. I love to do crafts, go ice-skating, and play with my Barbie dolls. I have about 30 or 40 of them. I really, really like school! Math is my favorite subject because I'm good at it. I'd like to have a mom and a dad that will take me to do fun things. I hope they have animals so I can have a pet. I like having an older foster sister and would love my new family to have older kids. I also have three siblings, and I want to be able to still talk to them and see them."

Dorrie loves family activities and outings and longs to have adults she can count on. She has some very nice creative instincts and abilities that she uses to express herself through drawing and writing stories - both of which may be therapeutic for her, as well as being fun. She loves to be outside but can also spend too much time in front of the TV if allowed. Dorrie also participates in an after school program that provides a variety of neat activities; she's having lots of fun playing African drums, HipHop dancing, and playing soccer.

Dorrie's chaotic early life and multiple placements in care, and the separation from her siblings, have all left her struggling with issues of trust and other symptoms of attachment difficulties and past trauma. She is also challenged by symptoms of attention difficulties and high energy, which are being managed currently through medication therapy.

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While it is not necessary that her new family have a lot of experience dealing with her specific issues, it is extremely important that they are willing to learn about them so that they understand what she has experienced. They will need to be strong advocates for the mental health services that can help her in her healing and recovery process. It would be an act of love and commitment for her adoptive folks to participate with her in family counseling during her transition into their home. It will be important, too, for her family to make sure that there is a therapist in their community experienced in attachment issues, abuse, and adoption related issues.

While having two parents could be a bonus, Dorrie could do well with a nurturing, committed single mom, too. It will, though, be important for Dorrie to be an only child or the youngest child in her adoptive home by a significant number of years. Dorrie blossoms with one on one time and attention from important adults in her life. She is a delightful, outgoing, and spunky child with a great sense of humor. She has dealt with a lot of loss and trauma in her young life, but she remains optimistic about her future and dreams of a family she can love and who will love her and be there for her always. She is ready for a family of her own who can provide her with the love, stability, and attention that she needs.

Portraits by Pomerelle Portrait Design Studios

Dorrie is available for adoption through the State of Oregon. For contact information, please contact the Idaho CareLine at 1-800-926-2588.

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Window on the Clearwater
P.O. Box 2444
Orofino, ID 83544
208-476-0733
Fax: 208-476-3407
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