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/.

Patrick

Ages: 9

"My name is Patrick. I'm a really nice kid! I'm good at lots of things, and I can do handstands and 'the worm.' My favorite things to do indoors are video games first, LEGOS second, and art projects third. I like to play basketball outside and go for hikes.

I like to talk, and I have really good manners that I learned in school. In school, my favorite subject is math. I try to get an A+, and I am pretty good at it. I'm also good at drawing cars and making them out of paper during art.

I need a family in the Boise, Idaho area. I have an older brother and two sisters who live here. I see them almost every weekend, and we spend a lot of time together even during the week. I want a mom and a dad who want to adopt me and will never get rid of me. I would also like it if they would play with my toys with me and watch movies with me. I would love it if my new mom and dad would read to me. I have been looking forward to my foster parents reading the first Harry Potter book to me."

Because Patrick has seen more hard times than any child should experience, he needs a traditional home with two parents who have excellent parenting skills, lots of patience, and previous experience parenting a special needs child who has been through a multitude of traumas. This child deserves parents who are inherently wise and emotionally secure. Patrick has thrived in a foster home with strong boundaries, a very structured environment and consistency in creative disciplinary techniques. Clarity of communication has helped Patrick understand rules and find comfort in reliable routines. Patrick is now ready for wider opportunities to experience his world. Organized sports and community activities such as Scouting, camping, and YMCA programs are ways he can continue to build confidence and learn how to manage his emotional outbursts.

Patrick could be the only child in a family. He would also do well with teen siblings who are not competitive about a parent's attention. This boy could learn social skills from older family members who are positive mentors and role models.

An adoption committee will be looking for parents who understand the background of this child. It will take a traditional family with a dad and mom working as a team to ensure educational and emotional progress continues. This will be accomplished through Individual Educational Plans (IEP), counseling, Psycho-Social Rehabilitation (PSR), and medication management.

Patrick wants frequent visits and contact with siblings living in Boise, Idaho. The children look forward to sleepovers, shared vacations or other opportunities to remain in close contact.

Portrait by Becky Thompson Photography

To find out more about Patrick, call the Idaho CareLine number, 1-800-926-2588. In Idaho you can dial 2-1-1. You may be asked to provide this reference number: 30302

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