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/.

Jackson and Benjamin

Age: 5-6

Jackson and Benjamin are sweet young brothers who need a family who can keep them together, but also meet their individual needs. These boys have been through a lot in their few short years and deserve to spend the rest of their childhood in a stable, loving, nurturing, committed family.

Jackson's foster mother described him as VERY intelligent! He loves numbers and maps and is obsessed with knowing how many miles apart places are and how long it takes to get there. He loves to read and to be read to. He enjoys playing with cars, coloring, and putting things together, like blocks and puzzles. However, he doesn't like it when younger brother Benjamin comes along and ruins his creations!

Jackson is lovable and affectionate, and is comfortable and social with people he knows well. His teacher says that he is more withdrawn at school, however, and does not make friends easily. But when he does make a friend, he is very loyal and very social. Jackson is just finishing up his second year of kindergarten. He had to repeat kindergarten because he missed so much school during his first year, before he came into care. He has excelled in school this year and is more than ready for first grade. Jackson was able to play on a basketball team this winter and loved it! He wasn't the best player on the team, but he was the most enthusiastic! He needs a family who will get him involved in other confidence boosting, social activities that he enjoys.

Jackson is very high functioning but does have some delays. He will need patient, consistent, skilled parents who can advocate for his needs and give him the strong foundation that he needs to make good choices, and feel safe and loved. Jackson has made huge gains in this type of foster home over the last year, and his adoption team has every hope that he will continue to progress and blossom in the right family.

Benjamin, who is affectionately called Ben or Benji by his foster family, is described as 'cute as a button'! He is also very lovable, smart, and teachable. Benjamin is autistic and currently non-verbal. He has come so far over the last year, though, that he is a different boy than when he first came to his current foster family. He communicates well by using some sign language, and in other non-verbal ways. He is very bright and can recognize colors, numbers, shapes, objects, and words. Benjamin does best in a very structured, familiar environment, and when he is at home, he has very few behavioral problems. He responds to commands and requests, shows affection, and recognizes those close to him. He loves to play with small objects, counting and sorting them, and can play alone for extended periods of time. Benjamin has no fear and will run out into traffic or down the road, so he needs line of sight supervision at all times. He exhibits significant stemming behaviors and will spin, rock, and flap to self soothe. Benjamin has many special needs, but he has also shown that he is capable of learning, communicating, and bonding. He attends kindergarten and has an IBI who works with him in school and outside of school, as well. He will need to be in a community where services are readily available and with a family who will advocate for his needs and seek out services to help Benjamin reach his full potential.

Jackson and Benjamin need a family skilled at caring for children with autism, who will seek out educational and community resources, and who are familiar with the affects of neglect and abuse. A two-parent family with a very strong network of support is a must. An ideal family would have either no other children, or 1-2 much older children. The adoption team will consider traditional and non-traditional families, in any geographical area, so that the best possible family can be identified.

If you are a family with strong advocating skills, who has a lot of patience, understanding, consistency, commitment, and love, you might be the family these boys need. And they do need you! Each new accomplishment and success the boys achieve will be well worth the investment. The payoffs may come slowly, but in meaningful and priceless ways; with smiles, giggles, hugs, and in the joy that can only come from helping a child reach their full potential. We hope you will give these boys a chance to reach theirs!

Portrait by Abrey Adams Photography

To find out more about Jackson and Benjamin, adoption or becoming a foster parent, email the Idaho CareLine or call 1-800-926-2588. You may be asked to provide this reference number: 30459.

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