Editor's Note: Window on the Clearwater recently 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/.

Kayla

Age 12

"My name is Kayla. I love horses and hope to live with a family that has horses or will help me ride them once in a while. I would love to go to the beach, to the zoo and shopping with my new family. I like to play video games, too.

I like all kinds of music. My favorite foods are oatmeal, granola and yogurt. I like to grow things in the garden—zucchini and lots of other vegetables.

I love animals, especially horses. I would like to take riding lessons and maybe take care of my own horse someday. Horses can teach you a lot about how to get along with other people. I'd like to have a dog too—maybe a poodle.

I think it would be nice to be the oldest child in a family because I could help younger brothers or sisters. The things I think a mom or a dad should do for their children is feed them right and make sure they're healthy. It's also important to treat others how you want to be treated."

Kayla is a petite girl with hazel eyes and wavy brown hair who gets her warm complexion from the maternal side of her family, with roots in the Turtle Mountain Chippewa tribe. Her paternal heritage is Caucasian. Although her immediate kin are not enrolled tribal members, both cultures will be important to the development of her identity.

Kayla will require ongoing mental health counseling for post traumatic stress, social skill building, and specialized instruction and curriculum modification. These must be a good fit with her current development, with the anxiety she sometimes feels, and with delayed relational skills. She also needs ongoing expert medical care related to weight, digestion, and development.

This outgoing and likeable girl has amazed everyone with her motivation to learn. Now she's ready for an energetic parent who will be a mentor and teacher as she tackles interactions with peers in a variety of social settings. If you are a patient and knowledgeable parent who knows how to set good boundaries and avoid power struggles, you may have the privilege of watching this young woman build upon some impressive gains. It will be a two-way learning path for parent and child and well worth your best efforts!

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

Photos by Moffett