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/.

Annie

Age: 10

Profile provided by NWAE

Annie has a big heart and is very giving and helpful, and expresses her kindness through actions and words. Intelligent and resilient, she is very artistic and participates in her school's Honor Choir. Annie does very well in the classroom academically. Over the past year, Annie has a developed a tremendous passion for horses. She's been involved in riding lessons and had learned a great deal about horses. Annie, who is getting excited about the adventure of being adopted, would love to live in the country on a ranch with horses. Most of all, though, she would love to have both a mom and a dad.

Legally free, Annie came into foster care in early 2010. She has been in two different foster care placements since that time. Annie has been with her current foster family since May of 2011. Because they will be moving out of state soon, Annie will be transitioned to a new foster family prior to being adopted. Annie and her birth mother both very much hope the family chosen to adopt her will agree to them having some contact following her successful adoption.

Although Annie is a very good student despite being easily distracted and having difficulty staying on task, she does need support in increasing her social skills. Annie who can be quite dramatic and also extremely sensitive to things others say or do, is being evaluated for having a behavioral IEP in place to assist her with the social aspect of being at school.

So strong is Annie's desire to be the center of attention that she will sometimes act out to divert attention from others in order to capture the spotlight. Because Annie has such a very hard time sharing parental attention, her caseworker is especially interested in hearing from couples in whose home Annie will be the only child, or the youngest with just one or two much older children.

Annie's adoptive family will need to be highly supportive of maintain her current therapeutic supports for the foreseeable future, which include weekly counseling and on medication therapy. The focus is on helping Annie manage her mood ups and downs, attention difficulties, and strengthen her boundaries. This combination of treatment has been working very well for Annie, and over the past six months, she has made a great deal of progress. For the time being, Annie needs to have caring and attentive adult nearby to supervise her and to be able to remind her, on the spot, about maintaining personal safety and safe boundaries with others.

Being willing to participate with Annie in counseling during her transition into her adoptive home, would be a wonderful way for her adoptive folks to show their love and commitment. It would demonstrate, too, that they value using such resources to help family members deal with past hurts and move forward emotionally and behavioral in healthy ways. Annie needs parents very willing to be involved in her on-going treatment to help her achieve treatment goals.

Because Annie will benefit from having a methodical and thoughtful transition into her adoptive home, as well as the time to feel safe and secure enough to form bonds, her adoptive parents are going to need to be very patient, nurturing, and accepting of her. Being able to provide a very stable, consistent home environment with clear rules, expectations, and limits will help her to feel secure.

To find out more about Annie, adoption or becoming a foster parent, email the Idaho CareLine (Please include your zip code and city.) or call 1-800-926-2588. Tristan is available for adoption through the State of Oregon.

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