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/.

Zane

Age: 8

Profile and portrait provided by Boys and Girls Aid.

Zane is a very fun and engaging boy who loves to laugh and enjoys being silly. Running, climbing, and exploring the world around him are favorite pastimes, and outdoor activities, such as camping and picnics, are great ways for him to express his high spirit and expend his energy.

Zane, who is very active and likes to be on the move, is adept at entertaining himself. He likes to work with his hands and enjoys building, tinkering, and taking things apart and putting them back together. Other favorite pastimes are doing crafts and creating art, and going shopping. He likes animals and enjoys being around family pets.

In very good physical health, Zane has a healthy appetite and can eat just about anything he wants. Mac-n-cheese, veggies, meat, cheese, and fruit and, of course, ice cream and candy, are favorites. Zane thrives on attention and expressions of affection from the significant adults in his life. While he has some sensitivity to touch, he loves having time to snuggle and cuddle and to get hugs and other safe physical touches from those who are important to him.

Counseling, medication therapy, and a self-contained classroom for part of the school day are in place to help Zane as he sorts through and deals with past trauma and fears about the future. The focus in on helping Zane develop behavioral tools and strategies to cope in appropriate ways with feelings of loss, anger, fear and abandonment. Some important issues he is working on in therapy, at home, and at school, include developing healthy coping and self-soothing skills, as well as anger management (which include problem solving and conflict resolution), and learning to interact with other children/peers in ways that promote friendships. Role modeling, of course, especially on the home front and at school, will be essential in helping him to visualize what such skills and abilities look like.

Now in first grade, Zane is benefiting from having the behavioral and emotional supports of a self-contained classroom and being mainstreamed for music, P.E., recess, and lunch. While Zane can play appropriately with peers and younger kids, he benefits greatly from being well supervised so that he can be redirected on the spot if he gets too rough or angry. Zane, who is large for his age, actually looks like a kid a year or two older then he is, which in itself can be a bit intimidating to other kids. It may be that Zane will continue to require some educational supports throughout his childhood as he progresses in school.

While Zane's behavior can be challenging, the recommendations following psycho-behavioral evaluations in the recent past were for care givers, therapists, and teachers to monitor his behavior to see if it was interfering with his overall development. The good news is that it has not done so thus far.

Being willing to participate with Zane in counseling during his transition into his adoptive home would be a wonderful way for his adoptive folks to show their love and commitment to him. It would also show that they value using such resources to help family members deal with past hurts and grow emotionally and behaviorally. It is likely that Zane is going to need to have such resources in place for the foreseeable future.

To find out more about adoption or becoming a foster parent, email the Idaho CareLine or call 1-800-926-2588. Zane is available for adoption through the State of Oregon.

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