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March 2008

Click HERE to view segment about Austin.

Last week News 8 introduced you to 6-year-old Austin. He has autism and has had a very important year. Since he's been in foster care, he's made incredible progress – socially and developmentally.

In Austin’s past year as a foster child he's been getting plenty of attention and love.

This week, News 8 asked autism expert, Dr. Missy Olive, observed him during our trip to the Austin Children's Museum. She said she's very optimistic about his potential.

Austin's past year as a foster child has perhaps been the best of his life. He's been getting plenty of attention, good treatment, and love, and he's flourished.

Olive said that while last year was a very important year for Austin's development, the next two years will be just as—if not more—vital.

"When we first got him, he didn't communicate at all with us," Austin's foster sister Justine Marksbury said. "Now he's potty training, so when he needs to go to the bathroom, he'll grab your hand and take him. He's a pretty smart boy."

The prospect of adoption for Austin could play a major role in his development.
Though Austin doesn't speak yet, Olive thinks he will, given the right care.

"The thing I'm most impressed with was his ability to reference his caregiver," Olive said. "So he played, and looked up at her, and went back to playing again. That's a real positive sign for the development of relationships and communication skills. We have to teach that most of the time."

She said children can make drastic improvement up to age eight.

That means it's not too late for Austin.

But the prospect of adoption for Austin could play a major role, because foster homes aren't meant to be permanent, and moving a lot is common.

"That's going to provide him with an instable environment, which will exacerbate his problems behaviors," Olive said. "So he's more likely to have more stress, more tantrums, and it becomes a vicious cycle because the more severe his behavior would get, he'll be bounced around even more. So he needs to find a stable home as soon as possible."

An adoptive family doesn't have to be an expert on autism. There is support available from the school, non-profits, and private and parent support groups.

So the only pre-requisite to adopt this little guy is love.

"The skills a parent needs for a child with autism are the same skills they need to be a parent: consistent, supportive, loving," Olive said. "And they need to be firm. All children need structure and rules and limits, and children with autism flourish in those types of environments."

And even in watching him, it's obvious how important family is to Austin. It's his safe place, his support, and his future.

Olive offered to help whatever family adopts Austin to find support and resources.

Click HERE to view segment about Austin.

Austin loves "just being loved on," his foster sister says. If he had the place to himself, Austin would do just fine.

As it was, the Austin Children's Museum was a hot spot when News 8 was there, and the crowds of kids made Austin a little nervous.

When the room he was in quickly filled with other children, he drew close to his foster sister.

Little Austin is 6 years old. He has autism. He gives kisses when he's nervous. This sweet habit shows how much Austin relies on his caregivers, which is rather unusual for a child with autism.

"He's a happy little kid," Austin's foster sister Justine Marksbury said. "He gets stressed in these kinds of situations, but when he's at home, he's all smiles. He really enjoys just being loved on. He likes to sit in your lap and stem, or play. He likes to be tickled."

Stemming is a habit common to kids with autism -- Austin taps under his chin.

"He does it when he's excited or nervous," Marksbury said. "That's how he explores toys."

Austin literally grew up in front of a TV.

It wasn't until he went into foster care a year ago that anyone paid attention to him, or taught him anything. So at age 6, he still doesn't speak, and he's potty training.

"He learns fast," Marksbury said. "He's only been doing it for three months and he's caught on."

His progress this past year has been tremendous.

"When we got him, he wasn't even eating food, he was drinking out of a bottle," Marksbury said. "He would only eat French fries. Now, he's drinking out of a cup with a straw and eating any food the rest of us eat."

He's also interacting more with other children.

"He just loves going to school," Marksbury said. "He just loves riding the bus. He hates the weekends. He doesn't get to go to school on the weekends."

Though he doesn't speak yet, his caregivers said he's smarter than he lets on. They believe he understands every word he hears.

There's no way to predict how much more progress Austin will make. But with treatment and a stable, permanent home, his chances of significant improvement are good.

That's why this little guy needs his very own forever family.

Click HERE to view the update about Adriana. Megan and Brittany.

News 8's Austin's Amy Hadley sat down with Tracy Eilers, the Executive Director of the Adoption Coalition of Texas for an update on some Forever Families success stories.

News 8: Adriana was a gal we met who was pretty much to the age she was starting to think adoption was never going to happen. And what, just three weeks ago it did.

Tracy: We met her last year when she had just turned 17. She was very skeptical about adoption, wasn't sure it was going to happen for her, but kind of humored us by coming along. We went ice skating.

After a lot of work and a lot of convincing that you're never too old to be adopted, she consummated her adoption just recently with a mom out of town, who's just the perfect match.

It took a lot of people working really hard to make that happen for her.

She's just giddy with happiness. She couldn't ask for anything better. And right before her 18th birthday.

News 8: Megan, another teenager, who maybe wasn't sure it was going to happen for her. She was very shy. We met her at a pottery studio.

Tracy: She'd kind of gone back and forth about wanting to be adopted. And we had interest, then we didn't have interest, then we had interest, and her hopes went up and down.

I'm really happy to say now she's with a family. She's been with them a little bit over two months, and probably couldn't be the better placement for her. She's just absolutely flourished, come out of her shell, and is doing really really well.

News 8: And Brittany caps us off, our freckled-faced red-head we took to Zilker Park.

Tracy: Everybody knows Brittany. She's just a bundle of energy, and a doll. I couldn't be more happy to say she's been with her family about five weeks now. And is doing just great.

She has wanted a family. She was beginning to believe it wasn't going to happen. With that comes a lot of attitude sometimes with kids.

She's in a place now she's learning to trust again and learning that people really do want her.

Click HERE to view the segment about D'Marcus.

It was a great day for D'Marcus.

We took him to Crowe's Nest Farm, and it turns out he loves animals.

"They got an afro on their head. He looks like he's laughing," D'Marcus said.

He has a soft spot for animals, and, in fact, D'Marcus wouldn't mind spending his future on a farm.

When asked what he wanted to be when he grows up, D'Marcus mentioned he'd surround himself with animals of all kinds.

"A millionaire! I would buy a farm with animals," he said.

D'Marcus admits he doesn't love school, but he was curious about the animals.

"What happens if you touch his head? This is a rooster? What's that?" he asked.

D'Marcus is in fourth grade. He said he wants to work at his favorite fast food restaurant when he grows up.

"Because you get to cook food and sometimes you get to eat it," D'Marcus said.

But he's never really had someone encourage him to do his best in school or help him find his potential.

In his two and a half years in foster care, he's been uprooted suddenly two times.

The second time, his caseworker said it took him two months to unpack.

He needs a forever home, where he knows it's safe to unpack, that he belongs forever, and that someone cares about his future.

"That's the mom, right there?"

As much fun as I had with him, his caseworker said D'Marcus is often sullen and sad at school and at home.

But on this day, it was a really good day where he was cheerful and really showed his inquisitive side.

The commitment of a family could bring out his best every day.

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March 2, 2008

Click HERE to view the segment about Shataija.

With seven years left in foster care, Shataija has plenty of time to hope for a family.

But the older children get, the more likely they'll stop believing there's someone out there who will care about them forever.

Shataija is a sweet girl who has a penchant for sweets.

"It would be cool if it had sprinkles on it," she said about a cookie.

Her nickname is Daja, and she's 11 years old. We took her to Great American Cookie for some decorating fun.

Then we headed to The Party Image for some major pampering.

It's a good thing, too. This fifth grader needs to know how to put on make-up if she's going to be a singer. She loves karaoke.

"I'm trying to get Hannah Montana CDs," she said.

She's also saving up for the school book fair.

"They had these Harry Potter books at the fair, but they were in Spanish, and my luck ran out."

As a foster child, Shatajia has had an unpredictable 2 years.

She's moved five times; three of those were adoptions that didn't work out, for reasons beyond Shatajia.

Yet, she's still hoping.

"We could have girl stuff and tea parties and everything," she said.

As sweet and polite as she is, her caseworker said that's how Shatajia keeps her guard up.

With seven years left in foster care, her life will hinge on one of two outcomes: she'll stay in foster care or she'll get adopted.

"A real nice family that will take care of me and love me. And they would treat me nicely and buy me stuff," she said.

For now, she's enjoying being 11.

"We just act like mermaids. We'll jump up and wiggle like one, and then dive down."

February 2008

February 18, 2008

Click HERE to view the segment about Chase.

If there's a kid who deserves some special attention, it's Chase.

Chase loves Taco Bell. It's usually his first request when his caseworker visits.

He also loves video games – his favorites are Spiderman, Pokemon, Star Wars.

"Can you see three reptiles that lived in dinosaur times?" Chase asked.

We took Chase to the Dinosaur Park for a day of one-on-one attention

"What would you do if you saw that in real life?"

"Run!"

Chase is an 11-year-old and he's never had the chance to be the apple of someone's eye.

His childhood was very unstable, and he went into foster care two years ago where, as he said, he's safe.

Chase wants to belong, and he wants to matter to someone.

"Go out to eat with them, and share, and play with them," he said.

His caseworker said he's never had the chance to fully develop socially, but that he has full potential to, if he can find a family that will commit to him.

"I wanna be adopted for them to save me," Chase said.

Until then this forth grader is doing the best that he can and has hope for his future.

"Fireman, peace officer, and tow truck driver. They have sirens and they can go through traffic," Chase said.

Chase has nothing holding him back from his dreams.

"Can someone push me? Cause I'll definitely go high."

But he needs the love and lessons of daily family life to give him the tools he needs to reach his full potential.

Click HERE to view the segment about Yolanda.

She made sure to fix her hair as cute as can be, and wore a cute outfit.

Yolanda wanted to look good for her time on TV, but she was still nervous.

This 14-year-old puts a lot of effort into things she cares about, from being on TV, to school, to finding a family.

Starting at age 10, Yolanda had some big decisions ahead of her.

That's when she went into foster care, and when she had to start thinking about her future.

First, she thought about what kind of student she wanted to be.

She's decided grades matter for her future and has made a 180 in school.

"I get 80s and 90s," Yolanda said. "High 80s and 90s."

She's also careful about who she chooses as friends, and has lots of them. It's no wonder because she's extremely thoughtful.

Here's her plan for her two best friends.

"Right now I'm saving my allowance to buy for Valentine's Day," she said. "A basket with teddy bear, cookies, brownies and lollipops around it."

She's even going to make the lollipops herself.

Yolanda has also gotten into sports at school.

She's is in eighth grade, and her caseworker said now her teachers describe Yolanda as charming and helpful.

The biggest decision Yolanda has faced is whether she wants to be adopted.

"I want a family that has fun and be like a real family," she said.

This is a big deal, because it meant cutting any ties she still had with her biological parents.

Yolanda will be on her own at 18. She's got big plans, either way.

"I want to be a pediatrician," she said.

But she believes a family will give her the best life.

"Being part of a family and having fun -- just be like a normal kid to your parents," Yolanda said.

The last four years have already held a lot of big decisions for Yolanda, and through those, she's become a confident, happy, 14-year-old.

Now, she's facing four years of high school and more hard choices.

Click HERE to view the segment about Jesse.

We took Jesse to J.W. Tumbles, the ultimate playground, where he pretty much giggled the whole time.

Jesse is 8 years old now, and in fourth grade.

CASA of Central Texas's Kimberly Key said he's grown up since News 8 Austin saw him two years ago.

"He's gotten a little taller, looks a little more mature," Key said.

She said his speech impediment is still pretty strong.

"He receives speech therapy at school and has an agency that comes into the home," Key said. "I can tell the difference. He really works hard to finish out his consonants. He'll say, 'Yesss.'"

Jesse would love to say that to a Forever Family.

One of his biggest challenges is that growing up, Jesse took the brunt of a lot of blame. So today, he's insecure around other kids when he has to compete for attention.

That's something a Forever Family could both give him and help him work through.

Now is a perfect time for that to happen.

Jesse is still young enough that all he cares about is being a kid, which may not be the case much longer.

Key said the tough part is waiting.

"You keep waiting for something to happen, and it doesn't happen, you start to -- like with other kids I work with in foster care -- you start to lose hope it'll ever happen," she said.

Another year or two could put Jesse at that place where more waiting means less hope, which could dim his cheerful disposition into bitterness about feeling unwanted.

This happy little guy deserves a chance to belong to someone.

"He has a very warm spirit," Key said. "He deserves a family that's going to commit to him and be his parent, grow up and do Boy Scouts, go to Christmas vacations."

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January 2008

Click HERE to view the segment about Bailey.

Bailey, 10, is a sweet hearted kid who's gone through a tumultuous three years.

He has moved an average of three times a year since he's been in foster care for reasons that have nothing to do with him.

Bailey tries not to dwell on it and maintains a positive attitude.

He also was separated from his older sister.

"I don't get to see her," he said.

From Bailey's perspective, his whole life has been taken away – more than once. And though he's easy-going, Bailey is guarded because people in his life always come and go.

At school, Bailey is busy with his fifth grade science project.

"Ms. Gwen helped me with the volcano. We put [baking] powder, or [baking] soda and vinegar, and then it would explode," he said.

When asked if he's always polite his bashful reply was most of the time.

"Oh, yeah. I'm also funny," Bailey added.

His caseworker said when Bailey has a chance to bond with someone that the relationship is very important to him.

Finding a family that wants to make a lifetime commitment to him would give Bailey the security to just settle in, and be Bailey.

Click HERE to view the segment about Joseph.

If there's one thing Joseph loves, it's joking around. If there are two things Joseph likes, the second is superheroes.

His favorite movies are Superman and Spiderman, and if he could have any superpower he said he would have webs.

Joseph could probably talk superheroes all day.

"Spiderman can't fly," Joseph said. "He can swing."

Joseph is in sixth grade special education. His caseworker said he's made great improvements in speech therapy.

At 14, Joseph is very childlike, which is what makes him so endearing.

Joseph has been in foster care a little more than a year and a half. He's so happy-go-lucky, he's pretty content whatever his situation.

But like any child, Joseph deserves to belong to a family. He'll certainly bring plenty of cheer.

Click HERE to view the segment about Josh, Kaleb, Rich, and Tracy.

We met Josh three years ago, and it was hard to get a word out of him.

"I skateboarded before. I got a couple bruises," he said in a near-whisper.

The first time we met Kaleb, he was a little guy watching his dream come true for everyone but him.

"They get adopted and they go," Kaleb said of foster siblings. "The next person gets adopted and they go. See them going and I'm not going. I'm staying."

Now Josh is a jokester, and Kaleb's dream is reality. And the two are brothers.

Their parents are Rich and Tracy Eilers. The couple doesn't claim to be experts, but they've learned a lot about adopting teenagers.

"Things we take for granted. Standing around making brownies in the kitchen," Tracy said. "It really is the simple things. It's not the fancy things, it's not the money, it's not the going and spending. It's just the doing, and going together."

Josh has been part of the family for two and a half years, and in that time, he's come out of his shell.

"I was mad. I didn't have a family yet. Felt like no one cared about me," Josh said of being in foster care.

Tracy said Josh was so quiet when he first became part of the family.

"Trouble was their primary focus, and trying to stay out of trouble. Josh, it was just being quiet and invisible," Tracy said, adding that it took the first six months for Josh to realize his new parents weren't going anywhere, and neither was he.

"I can remember one day early on, he was like, 'Why are you in my business?' when I'd ask him about his homework every day," Tracy laughed. "It took him a while to explain we're asking about his homework because we care."

Rich agreed.

"You have to prove it. Because they've had a life of disappointment," Rich said. "They might have believed somebody before and it didn't happen. What keeps them from thinking that now?"

Kaleb has been part of the family for about six months. He officially became a member of the Eilers family on Adoption Day last November.

"It's kind of weird having a family forever," Kaleb said. "Every night and every day I'd wake up and I wouldn't think I was at the place I was at. I'd sit here and fall asleep and wake up, still in the same place? Whoa."

Part of parenting these teenagers has been filling gaps.

Josh said the Eilers taught him many things.

"When I first came, it's kind of embarrassing, but I really didn't know how to use a fork well," Josh said. "So she taught me how to hold it, you know. Back then, when I was with my other folks, they really didn't care about me. I kind of decided to learn myself."

Rich said you have to understand the kids might not know what you would expect them to.

"You assume, they're 13, 14, they should know by now," Rich said. "But a lot of foster kids don't. There are gaps there."

And though getting the boys caught up in school has been a goal, it's not on the top of the list during the first year, Rich said.

"The most important thing is that we have a healthy family and healthy kids that we're going to help to grow up to be good people. Our goals are, like, integrity, and responsibility."

Rich and Tracy said weren't looking to adopt, but they sure find life more fun now that they have.

"It's a good thing we don't have any more bedrooms," Rich joked.

Tracy said it was about making a difference in kids' lives. This difference is evident as these boys continue to experience the true meaning of family.

"Sometimes I just lay in bed and stare at pictures," Kaleb said.

"I'm happy. Really happy," Josh said, grinning.

Click HERE to view the segment about Simon.

It's been more than a year since we last spoke with Simon.

Not much has changed since then. He has the same outlook on life, and he's in the same foster home with the same dream: to be adopted.

"I want a solid home where I have a family that loves and cares for me," he said.

We took Simon to the Putt-Putt Fun Center in Killeen. His choices were putt-putt, batting cages or racing, and it took him all of two seconds to decide he wanted to ride the go-karts.

"Choose your car," he exclaimed.

Simon is an animated 13-year-old boy who's thrilled about whatever he's doing. He loves history and reading, but he really loves telling a good story.

"You know how people ride on one wheel and the back tire keeps going?" he asked, describing a wheelie. "I do that."

Simon does have some Pinocchio in him. Sometimes his stories start well, then get bigger and bigger.

"What I like about lemonade and tea is that they don't have that much sugar," he said. "Sodas have maybe 300 to 500 grams of sugar."

He missed the mark by a few hundred grams. But he's got the right idea.

His caseworker wonders if Simon mixes fantasy and reality because he doesn't know what to expect of life.

He's been in foster care for almost five years. He doesn't know if he'll get adopted or stay in foster care until he's 18. His life is full of uncertainty.

Simon likes his foster home, so the wait doesn't seem to get him down. He lives his life with joy.

"Yes! Forty thousand, baby," he exclaimed, playing a mean game of ski ball.

Simon wants a chance to share his joy with a family, as someone's son.

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December 2007

December 31, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Michael.

It can be so hard to ward off a cold this time of year. Poor Michael has been battling one on and off for a month! But even with a cough and some mean sniffles, he was willing to meet us at the News 8 studios. We gave him a tour, and invited Tim Cole with Austin Reptile Service to bring a few critters to show off.

"It's pretty cool. It's my first time petting a snake," Michael said.

As he requested some hot lemon tea, Michael talked about his cold.

"I was feeling much better," he said. "Then I went to school and soon got it back."

Michael's CASA volunteer, Tami Calderon, said when he's not under the weather, Michael is engaging and energetic.

Michael is 14. Though he has been in foster care half his life, Michael's dad had just gotten permission for Michael to move home with him.

"The real parent I had was just my dad. He passed away. Last year," Michael said. His dad died of a heart attack.

Now Michael has put his hope in adoption.

"Have a real parent that can take care of me. Have fun, go places, watch a movie at home," Michael said. "Somehow I want a better life. I want to feel people like me."

Michael really cares about pleasing the people he loves. When kids at school were picking on him, he used to respond by fighting. His foster mom told him that this disappointed her. Now he chooses to ignore those kids.

"I felt bad, what I did to them. That's how I learned my lesson," Michael said.

In testing, some of Michael's scores are low, yet he's a great conversationalist and asks insightful questions. His CASA volunteer wonders how much potential is there, just waiting for a parent's care and attention to draw it out.

Michael has big plans.

"I want to go to college and get two degrees. My first job will be a chef or police officer," he said.

Michael is motivated by love. So a family may well be the fuel to help drive his dreams. But Michael wonders if he'll get picked from all the other foster children waiting.

"There's a lot of people want to get adopted. But, hey, I tried," he said.

That winning attitude is just part of the whole package with this guy. Michael is just a neat kid.

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December 24, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Tomeka.

Tomeka and Temickie are the same age. They pronounce their names the same way. And they're sisters.

"Not only did our personalities fit, we could wear the same shoes and the same clothes, and that made it even better," Tomeka said.

Tomeka was a teenager when she went into foster care, and that's when she met her future sister, Temickie.

"I remember my sister, Temickie, she went home crying and she was like, 'Mom! They're getting ready to ship my friend Tomeka to another place and I won't be able to see her.' She cried and she was like, 'Is there something you can do? Is there something you can do?'"

The answer changed Tomeka's life. Her friend's mom adopted her when Tomeka was 15.

Her adoptive family lives in Iowa now, but they keep in touch.

Tomeka went into foster care because her birth mom wasn't mentally able to care for her. Today, the two are close.

"I go and visit her all the time, and help out if she needs help grocery shopping. I still remember she's my mom and she just had a little problem and a little rough ends during the time we were younger," Tomeka said.

But she says her life would be different if not for Momma Liz, her foster mother.

"I have a good job. I even went to college. If it wasn't for somebody giving me that extra chance, I probably would've went a different direction," Tomeka said. "You get to a certain age and you think people don't care. But there are people who care and there are people who do think, 'This child is going to be grown pretty soon, 18, but they still need love, just like everybody else.'"

Now Tomeka is raising her own daughter. She's getting married on Jan. 7 and beginning the process to adopt.

"Maybe a girl and a boy near my son's age. They can play and teach each other stuff," she said.

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December 17, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Courtney.

She's seen it played on TV, but this was Courtney's first time to swing a golf club. We took her to Putt-Putt Fun Center in Killeen.

While Courtney may not have a career as a pro putter ahead of her, she was as engaging a student as they get!

This nine-year-old fourth grader has strawberry blond hair and actually likes vegetables.

"My favorite subject is journaling. I love writing and reading. Anything besides math," she said. "I like to draw, write, eat! I have a really big appetite. Brussel sprouts, spinach."

In a word, Courtney is bubbly. And she likes to please. This is what she said to the question of why someone would be lucky to have her as a daughter.

"I can make little small blankets for you, I can make gifts. I can help you at Christmas, because I can help you wrap presents. I can help you with anything. I'm nice," she said.

Courtney has been in foster care for about two years. She's is eager to work on things about herself that need some attention. From her math grades, "I would like to learn about math. I would like to work on it."

To her behavior. "I'm bad. But I'm really good hearted!"

Courtney says she can get upset when things don't go her way, and admits she sometimes picks fights. Her caseworker says Courtney is having to relearn what's acceptable, and it's different than what she knew growing up. Courtney has come a long way this year.

"I am trying to work on not having those anger issues."

Courtney wants her life to change. She's working on herself in hopes she'll fit into a family. In fact, she asked how long after her story airs before she hears about her family. She's counting on being wanted.

"I don't want to be moving from house to house. I want a perfect family and stay with them."

A family who would stick with her through the ups and downs.

"I want them to love me the way I am."

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December 10, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Kellie.

Fifteen-year-old Kellie is talkative and cheerful, which makes her very good company.

The high school freshman is about as open and practical as a teenager gets. She's thinking one day she might like to be a lawyer.

"They make pretty good money and I'm pretty good at arguing and getting my point across," she said.

She's a smart cookie. The speech and debate teacher is trying to recruit her right now. Of course, that would be on top of all the other things she already does.

"I'm doing ROTC, Latin and Avid (a college prep class)," she said. "Financially, I might not be able to support myself by myself enough to be able to go to college. So I'm not really sure at this point."

The state will pay for tuition to any state or trade school for children who age out of foster care. But books, transportation, rent, and food would still be up to Kellie.

Kellie also likes theatre, but doesn't have time for it right now. And she likes skateboarding, drawing and writing poetry.

As practical as this freshman is, Kellie is also very positive.

"I'm really laid back," she said. "I don't like to do, do, do, and leave the house a lot. I actually like to stay home and watch TV. It's not like I want all the name brand shoes, like Jordans and all that. All I need is one pair of shoes and I'd be happy. It doesn't take a lot to make me happy."

Kellie has been in foster care for about two years. She really likes the foster home she's in, but she knows even the best foster home isn't a forever home. And she knows that's what she needs.

"That I still have a family to fall back on me that will be there for me, because they are my family," she said. "Legally my family. Not just, 'Oh, you're my foster daughter and after 18, you're gone.'"

Kellie is happy now and she has a plan for her future, but she knows the key to her dreams is the permanent support system of a family.

"I'm kind of nervous because what if I need financial help or I get into a bad relationship and something happens?" she asked. "At least I still have someone to be there to fall back on who'll be there and help me through whatever I need."

A lot can happen between the ages of 15 and 18. Kellie needs a family that can hold her to who she wants to be. Plus, even she realizes growing up doesn't end when you turn 18. She needs a family to affirm her dreams and support her as she reaches for them.

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December 2, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Jarod.

Last year at this time, Jarod was showing off his Junior ROTC uniform for his Forever Families segment. He was 15 and only recently decided he wanted to be adopted.

Jarod's goal was to become sergeant, but he moved from foster home to foster home this year and isn't in ROTC anymore.

The rest of year has been filled with just as many disappointments, and now his outlook on life is bleak. No 16-year-old should feel this hopeless.

Jarod came in to foster care when he was 10 from his uncle's house, where there were five kids – Jarod and his sister, and their three cousins. Jarod was the one who had to go into foster care.

He's had a very hard time trusting adults, and who could blame him?

Now he's 16 and repeating the ninth grade. In two years, he'll age out of the foster care system. Foster teens on their own are at a higher risk of homelessness and substance abuse.

"To me it seems like it's too late. For life, I guess. When I turn 18 I don't know what I'm going to do," he said.

Jarod's anger, frustration and confusion has caused him to give up on adoption. His aunt was going to adopt him, but it wasn't a good fit. They lived together for a month but kept getting into fights.

Now Jarod is in a shelter, where he says things aren't going well.

"I got in trouble because I broke a door. I feel mad all the time. It's not foster care. It's [not] being adopted. It's just when I turn 18, what am I going to do? Am I going to be on the streets? I don't know what I'm going to do. I barely got an education. Ain't nothing to do," he said.

Jarod is out of hope. He feels he's out of time and he has no idea what to do about it. Ask about his future, and he shuts down.

Though he's given up on himself, he still has another year.

Jarod may not be optimistic about his chances for a family, but if his story touched you like it touched us, you can learn more about him through the Adoption Coalition of Texas.

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November 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Samantha and Marissa.

Samantha and Marissa are packed and on their way to a new foster home, but they don't like moving.

The sisters are OK with this one because they're sure there's only one more move after this.

"We're going to go to a permanent home and get a family," Samantha said.

Their hopes are high, and so is their energy.

Marissa will turn 10 in December. She's definitely the more outspoken of the two. Samantha is 16, and much calmer. She's every bit the big sister.

Though the girls have very different personalities, they like a lot of the same things, including going to church. They also like coloring and the University of Texas. And they love doing chants, cheers and movie lines together.

Though the girls are doing well in foster care, they want to know they're wanted.

"Those are going to be your real parents, and you get to go everywhere with them, and you don't miss out on fun," Marissa said.

They even made a list of what they'd like in a family.

"Some Hispanic, two-parent, city, older kids, church, Christian, no camping, current music, and swim," Samantha read.

Marissa needs a family that can sign her up for a dance or gymnastics class. She showed off her impressive dribbling skills with the basketball, turned a front handspring without batting an eye, and a stunt on the swing.

Samantha needs parents to care for her the way she cares for her sister. Her caseworker, Terri Trice, says Samantha is a pleasure to be around, and is always appreciative for things.

In fact, Trice took the girls to their first sit-down restaurant not long ago. She said they were so sweet to the server, they made sure to tell her what a good job she did before they left.

As head to their next temporary home, they're trusting they'll get to make one more move to their own Forever Family.

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November 18, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Jonathan.

It can be hard to know what you want when the clock is ticking.

Jonathan only has a two-year window left to get adopted.

"It wouldn't bother me that much if I don't get adopted because I'm almost an adult," he said.

Another year of waiting to be adopted has meant another year of moving. He recently moved to a new foster home and started a new school.

"It's so small. I already know everyone," he said. "My smallest class is two kids and me."

His new foster home has Jonathan thinking he's better suited for the city.

"In the country you can climb trees, I guess. I don't want to sit on a hill of ants with a magnifying glass," he joked.

Jonathan will be 16 next month. He's been in foster care since he was 11.

"In other homes I would act up, inside the home, and that's disrespectful. Now I think, 'I'm living in their house, they're feeding me. So I shouldn't disrespect the house.' They don't have to be foster care. They don't have to take all these kids in."

Jonathan talked about respect a lot. But he didn't talk too much about adoption. He said he just takes life one day at a time.

"When I'm at school, I think about school. When I'm at home, I think about home," he said.

The reality for foster children is it's risky to get their hopes up when time is running out. So sometimes they don't make a big deal of it.

"If there's a family out there that likes me and I like them and we work together, I want to be adopted," he said.

Though Jonathan's got one foot in self-protection mode, the fact that he's open to the idea of adoption proves that deep down, he really wants his own forever family.

"If there's a family out there, I'm right here!"

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November 11, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Terrell.

In the first few moments I spent with Terrell, he was very shy and quiet. But it didn't take him long to warm up, and I had the pleasure of seeing his charming smile and the wonderful personality that goes with it.

Terrell turns 12 in about two weeks. His glasses are an important part of his look and he's always well-groomed.

For Terrell, image matters. His caseworker said he showed up to a photo shoot one time wearing glasses he didn't need and a book under his arm.

But the truth is, Terrell is a smart kid. He makes A's and B's in school and he loves to read. His favorite movie is "The Chronicles of Narnia," and he's read the whole series.

"I'm reading 'Heat' right now. It's about a boy, he's really good at baseball. He's 12. They don't think he's 12 because he's so good," Terrell said.

He's not certain what he wants to be when he grows up, but he figures he could be a businessman so he could wear a suit and a tie.

Though his caseworker jokes he's a 21-year-old trapped in an 11-year-old's body, there's still plenty of kid in this fifth grader. He plays baseball and football, and as long as he's outside, he's happy.

Terrell really loves company when he's playing. In fact, he wouldn't let me get away with just watching when I took him to Austin's Park and Pizza for miniature golf and games.

That's his criteria for what he wants in a family, too. He wants a fun family that will go outside and play with him.

Terrell's caseworker says he's determined to get adopted. He wants updates on the search for a family, and wants to know how long it will take.

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November 4, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Loriann.

Loriann is an artist and a fashionista, so the Party Image was a perfect place to get to know her.

We made some wild flip flops, painted each other's nails, and Loriann got a super hairdo.

Though she was pretty quiet, her foster mom says Loriann is far from shy. Her favorite colors are pink and purple, and she has a streak of tomboy. It doesn't matter the sport, Loriann can play.

"I play football and kickball in the cul-de-sac in front of my house," she said.

Loriann has been in foster care for about two years. She says there are lots of other girls in her foster home, but she prefers one-on-one time.

She also likes video games, like the Sims, where you build a family. Loriann wants to build a family in real life, too.

Though Loriann wants to be adopted, her foster mom senses some fear, too. She says Loriann is afraid parents could change their minds about her.

"Adoption is about having a family that really cares for you and will take care of you and wouldn't say they don't want you anymore and everyone would be like a family," Loriann said.

Loriann needs to know a family will be patient and committed, through the good and the bad, so she feels safe to trust a family with her love.

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October 2007

October 28, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Ashley.

The capitol grounds bring back memories for this pair.

"We would feed the squirrels and have lunch out here," Ashley said.

Clare and Ashley used to picnic here almost 10 years ago, right after they became mother and daughter. The two met when Clare became Ashley's mentor at school.

"She would bring me Thundercloud for lunch every day. It was a roast beef on wheat. We would play on the playscape," Ashley remembers.

"We'd sit outside on the playground every day and I thought she was wonderful," Clare said.

Clare, and her husband Jack, adopted Ashley when she was 13.

"I think there was a glow around me for a year. It's probably still there. It keeps getting brighter," Ashley said.

Now Ashley's almost 23, and living on her own.

"We talk on the phone six or seven days a week. We see each other two or three times a week," Clare said.

"I don't take a lot of things for granted. I'm definitely a different person. I'm happier now," Ashley said.

"Taking trips is still fun. We just went to California in August. Movies. Dinner, in or out," Clare said.

Ashley was in foster care for about six years. She knows it's hard feeling like you don't belong to anyone, and has this advice to foster children.

"Be happy, smile often. Be happy with who you are. Don't let anyone tell you you're not special or don't deserve something, because you do," Ashley said.

And Ashley plans to carry on the tradition. She plans to adopt someday, and she said it will be a teenager just like she was.

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October 21, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Pete and Ayla.

I thought finding something a pre-teen brother/sister set would both enjoy would be tricky, but Cafe Monet was just the ticket. Pete picked a pig to stash his cash, and Ayla picked a princess.

Pete was happy to get creative with his project. but given the choice, he'd probably rather be running, or playing a video game, something he's loved since he was little.

"I beat the whole game when I was three. Usually it takes 500 hours, and I beat it in, say, half my three-year-old life," he said.

Ayla likes to talk about all the animals at their foster home.

"We have five dogs, and 20 cats because one just had kittens. Lot of goats, like 15. They're milked every day," Ayla said.

Her favorites are the goats.

"I have one named Freckles and one named Waddles. It has a waddle on its neck," she explained.

These siblings are only about a year apart. Ayla is in 6th grade and Pete is in 7th. Their interests are almost opposite, but the things they do have in common: they both like school, and they both want a family.

"I want to be in a home with nice people that will let me play my games more often. After I get my homework done," Pete said.

"I would like to have a true family that would take care of me, and have a family that would have money. That way we're able to have a good family to stay with," Ayla said.

In the past, Ayla said they had to get food from their parent's work. The kids are looking for the security and stability a forever family can give.

"A mom and dad, with probably a baby I could help take care of. Because I love babies," Ayla said.

"My sister would like a lot of attention. She always wants attention. She wants to give people hugs," Pete said.

And here as they approach the teen years, it's a crucial time for Ayla and Pete to find a family.

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October 14, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Regina Louise.

When Regina Louise returned to Austin for the first time as an adult, News 8 was there. It was an emotional visit. Austin represents a childhood in an illegal foster home where Regina Louise suffered painful abuses.

Three years later, Regina Louise returned for her second visit, this time with a powerful voice. She's a woman with a message of love and hope and action. She shared her message with a group of caseworkers from Child Protective Services, and ended her visit with some home cooking from Hoover's.

A young lady named Adriana tagged along for lunch. Adriana represents why Regina Louise travels the country with her autobiographical book, Somebody's Someone, and her play to advocate for foster children.

"I don't want them to volunteer their lives away to misery," Regina Louise said. She wants children to think, "I belong already. I am meant to be someone.' Do the thinking. Because they can't do a whole lot else. Do the thinking that allows the possibility."

Adriana is 17. She has one year left in foster care, and one year left to get adopted.

"There are some people out there who really want kids," Adriana said. "So why wouldn't they want me?"

But older children in foster care know their odds.

"Some people want younger kids instead of older kids," Adriana said.

"I've heard stories where children are considered unadoptable simply because they're older," Regina Louise said. "So the more hardship, and the longer they stay in the system and they're not claimed, different placements, it adds to the assumption that child is damaged. And therefore, it would be unfavorable to have them adopted. How can it be considered okay to say a child having a place of their own, a room of their own, that can be unfavorable?"

Regina Louise got adopted, but not until she was 41. There was a woman who tried to adopt Regina Louise decades prior, but the courts wouldn't allow a white woman to adopt a black child. The two were reunited when Regina Louise was 41.

Adriana finds hope in that.

"For a girl like that that can survive all that is amazing," Adriana said. "I'm a survivor."

That's exactly the spark Regina Louise hopes to ignite in foster children, as they wait to be somebody's someone.

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October 7, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Devion.

Devion is cute as a peanut. First, because he just is. And second, because that's his nickname.

"When we got him he was so absolutely tiny. He's grown almost three inches in 15 months," his foster mom, Pam Frusha, said.

Though Devion is pretty small for five years old, his stature doesn't slow him on the court. The founder of Hoop Zone, Bill Wendlandt, lowered a basket for him, but it was still impressive to see Devion make shot after shot. And he can dribble, too!

"Wow! This kid doesn't need lessons. He's nothing but net," Wendlandt quipped after one basket.

He's not much bigger than the ball! But he obviously doesn't know that. He can even dribble, although it doesn't seem like he's learned about traveling yet.

While basketball is at the top of his list, Devion likes other things, too.

"I like to ride my scooter and my bike," he said.

"Do you ever fall off?"

"Not my blue bike. I always fall off the yellow one and that hurt me," he said, pointing to his shoulder.

This kindergartner also loves the show "Veggie Tales," especially when Larry the Cucumber plays Larry Boy, the superhero.

Devion does have some trouble with stuttering, but he's improving. He loves to sing, and his foster mom said he sings along to the radio.

"He's the personable kid everybody likes," Frusha said. "He walks in the room and everyone's like, 'Hey, Devion!'"

With Halloween just about a month away, Devion has his costume all planned out.

"A hat and pants and a shirt," he described. "He wears yellow and red. I'm going to be that for Halloween."

Devion is going to be Bob the Builder.

Maybe when it's time to get ready with next year's costume, Devion will be able to go trick-or-treating with a Forever Family.

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September 2007

September 30, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Katy.

The longer children wait in foster care, the longer they go without knowing what it's like to have a permanent home

Ten-year-old Katy has been in foster care since a young age.

Behind her dimpled cheeks and freckled face (which she calls "angel kisses") is a curious little girl who loves life.

We took Katy to The Sanctuary at J&M Aviaries, and she was clearly in her element. Katy says she wants to be a veterinarian because she loves animals.

This fourth grader does really well in school. Of course, she likes summer as well.

"We went swimming every day. I went to the lake. Found a lot of seashells. Made necklaces," she said.

Foster care is almost all the family like Katy knows. But she remain upbeat and optimistic about getting adopted.

Katy understands what adoption is because she's seen it happen for other children. But this spunky, husky-voiced Texan needs it to happen for her.

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September 23, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Michael.

If it were possible to morph into an object, there's no question Michael would want to be a race car.

Of course, he'd settle with just driving one.

For his first time behind the wheel, he played chauffeur.

"Seeing his eyes when we pulled up to here was something I thought was sweet. He was like, 'We're here?' So I said, 'Yeah, this is where we're going to be.' He was like, 'Wow! I'm going to race you,'" caseworker Lurene Tapia said.

Can you guess his favorite movie? It's Cars.

Michael is in first grade this year. He's making headway in speech class.

"It was a lot harder to understand him. But now he's doing a little better. You have to get used to him in order to understand what he's saying sometimes," Tapia said.

This nine-year-old wasn't very chatty with me, probably because he was too busy having fun. But his caseworker says he likes company.

"Compared to other kids, he doesn't talk as much. But he'll ask you questions and he'll tell you about his day if he knows you're focused on him and him only," Tapia said.

Michael is in foster care. He has a great foster family, but it's not a forever family, and that's what he's ready for.

"He loves to give hugs. He loves attention. I think they'll enjoy the fact that he's a boy. Boys want to play with trucks, cars, baseball. He needs that stability," Tapia said.

Stability that only comes from knowing someone is there for you for the long haul.

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September 16, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Anastasia.

What 10-year-old girl doesn't appreciate a little sparkle? We took Anastasia to the Work*Shop to create her own.

The only trouble is with nine letters in her name, we couldn't find them all!

"We could do my middle name. Rose," she said.

Some quick thinking, and we're back in business.

Anastasia is easy-going, and happy to have company. She likes some sports, and plays basketball.

As of today, she can also say she knows a thing or two about ice cream shops. Anastasia became part of the show at Amy's Ice Cream.

Now she wants to become part of a family.

"I want a brother and a sister and a mom," she said.

And she wants pets.

"I want to get adopted because I want a pet gerbil and a hamster," she said.

Through her 10-year-old eyes, it's as simple as that: the family she needs might come with the pets she wants.

Beyond that, adoption would help Anastasia see herself as more than a foster child. She'll be someone's daughter.

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September 9, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about
the Arellanos.

The Arellanos went from a family of three to a family of six, somewhat unexpectedly.

"We had these empty rooms, then one's full. Then another's full," Hector Arellano said.

Anne met little Christopher at the hospital where she worked, and when she found out he was up for adoption,

"I said, "Oh my gosh!" I would totally adopt him. I said it meaning it but without talking to him and without us planning and without us planning together," Anne Arellano said.

Once Hector agreed, Cozmo and baby Selah followed. These three are in addition to their eight-year-old daughter, Catalina.

"She takes on this roll of mother hen. She's constantly corralling them," Anne said.

"Rounds them up, takes them in the room, let's all play and run around Selah. Selah's just sitting on the floor watching everyone spin around her," Hector said.

The Arellanos were warned it might be hard on big sister to share her parents, but they thought she was ready.

"We can remember going into her room and she had teddy bears lined up teaching them class," Anne said.

"I play memory. The card game. And I also play hide-and-go-seek. Little kid games, cause they're little. I don't want to ruin their game," Catalina said.

Turns out everyone's heart, and even their home, had plenty of room for more.

"We had room so we did it. These are kids that didn't have family and we can provide that," Hector said.

And with a team of three, everyone is pitching in to weave this family together forever.

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September 2, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about
Kasidee and Rory.

If you spend time with this brother and sister, good luck figuring out their names by listening to them. Kasidee and Rory prefer their nicknames for each other: Buddy and Sissy.

The children are in foster care, but if things go according to their plans, not for much longer.

"August 30 will be three years," Kasidee said that's when she and her brother went into foster care. "I like to know when we got in and when we get out. Hopefully this year by October 1."

The way she figures it, getting adopted this year will mean Kasidee can get to know her new friends in elementary school, before it's time to move up to middle school. Clearly, she's thought all this through.

These bubbly children know what they want and why.

"The best parents in the world," Rory said.

"We can see our family every day and we'll have nice Christmases," Kasidee said.

"And we'll get lots of presidents! I mean presents," Rory chimed in.

"So we can travel," Kasidee said. "So we can have a lot bigger family. So we'll have a whole bunch of fun. Probably we'll celebrate our family by having adoption day plus birthdays."

It's not that the children hope for a forever family, they know one is out there. When asked Kasidee why she's excited about starting fifth grade, Kasidee said, "A new teacher. Plus getting adopted." By October 1st, remember?

Kasidee loves church. She sings in the choir and leads prayer sometimes.

Rory likes math, and is proud of making all A's in school.

The kids are quick to answer what they want to be when they grow up.

"Policeman because cops have sirens, and I like sirens," Rory said.

"A doctor or a teacher, I haven't made up my mind yet. I want to be a doctor because I can help people, and I want to be a teacher because I can help kids!" Kasidee volunteered.

Oh, and their confidence in finding a family, perhaps this is where that comes from.

"Do you ever lay in bed at night and think about being adopted?" "Yeah. I pray all night long. Sometimes I fall asleep praying," Rory said. "I pray about having a great family."

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August 2007

August 26, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about
the foster child backpack drive.

When a nonprofit teamed up with a radio station for a backpack drive, the donations came flooding in. The Adoption Coalition of Texas and The River collected bags and school supplies for Central Texas foster children.

"Outfitting a child for school is expensive. And we ask foster parents to house more than six kids sometimes," Tracy Eilers, Executive Director of the Adoption Coalition of Texas, said.

In all the excitement of new school supplies, new clothes, and seeing friends again, foster children often face a whole set of different challenges.

"There's a stigma associated with being in foster care. Kids do know they're labeled, often, in school as foster kids. They'll say, 'I don't want to be known as a foster kid,' and, 'Can I please not be in special ed now?' They just want to be normal, and they want to be able to fit in," Eilers said.

Seventh-grader Brittany agrees. She's been in foster care for three years now.

"'Cause they feel like they're different. See, like if a person met an alien they'd be like, 'Ew. Get away from me. That's weird,'" she said.

We first met Brittany at the beginning of August when she talked about why she wants to be adopted. Now she's picking out a donated backpack just for her.

"Some kids feel like everyone's out to get them. Some have too much on their mind like, 'Am I going to be able to go back to my family or not?' Many worries," she said.

It's often a year-long worry that they don't fit in. A backpack is a simple support with a big message.

"They don't have families that can help with extracurricular activities. We're short on foster parents, we're short on adoptive parents. So we have few doing a lot for many. It's just tough," Eilers said.

On top of the individual donations, Austin area Wendy's locations collected bags for two weeks, and San Marcos Toyota offered to match all the bags and supplies raised.

"Some foster kids are thankful because there's many people trying to help them," Brittany said.

The 260 bags and supplies, donated by strangers, can help foster children at least feel they fit in on the first day, which is a great start.

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August 12, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Jo Alice.

Give a girl an option between glitter and no glitter, and she'll pick the sparkle every time. Jo Alice was no exception. She's a smart, honest 10-year-old girl who's waiting for a family.

During some girl-time while making lip-gloss at The work*shop she talked about her hobbies and dreams.

"I like cheerleading, volleyball, baseball, soccer. I used to play soccer," Jo Alice said. "I really want to be a singer, but I'm going to work on it. I like to sing and draw and do hair."

As far as Jo Alice's dream to become a singer, she said her biggest obstacle right now is she's shy. She said she's working on that.

"She knows she has to get a good job first. Get good grades, then be a singer," CASA volunteer Mary Nev Talbott said.

Good grades seem to be a breeze for this fourth grader. Jo Alice has been in at least eight different schools since first grade and still makes straight A's.

"She applies herself, listens in class and does her homework," Talbott said.

She's a fast learner in school and in life. She learned to swim when she ventured into the deep end.

"She was watching people swim, and she taught herself how to swim! I should've expected that because Jo Alice can watch any process and learn," Talbott said.

Jo Alice has been in foster care since her grandmother and caretaker died two years ago. She said sometimes she's singled out at school.

"They say I'm the foster kid. I live with them, and they say how can I live in the same home if I'm a different color than the other person? That's why I don't want them talking about anything," Jo Alice said.

Jo Alice hopes the question of where she belongs will be answered by a forever family. She's especially looking forward to having a mom.

"I know I want a person that knows how to do my hair and likes going places," she said.

The fun stuff. The girlie stuff. The family stuff. That's what Jo Alice is waiting for.

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August 5, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Brittany.

Heading back for a second year of middle school, Brittany is looking forward to everything from sports to orchestra.

She's trying out for volleyball and says she really likes baseball. Even more than pursuing her many interests, she wants a forever family.

Brittany is a pretty even mix of tomboy and a girly girl.

"I know how to crochet. One of our friends from church is going to teach me how to knit," Brittany said.

Brittany is starting seventh grade soon. She played violin last year and is planning to be in orchestra again this year. She said she'd also love to be on a diving team. Her ambitions are as varied as her interests.

"Maybe a cosmetologist, or maybe a designer, or a policeman," she said.

Brittany has been in foster care for about three years. She says the past year has been an important one, and she's done a lot of growing up.

"I used to argue and throw myself down like a little two year old. I just got angry out of nowhere," Brittany said.

Brittany's motivation to change came from seeing her little sister get adopted.

"I realized what she was doing that I wasn't. She was acting better. She changed her attitude, so I changed mine. Basically, my little sister was a role model for me to behave," she said.

It came only after Brittany dealt with her frustration of being in foster care.

"At first I was sad about it till I realized they were trying to help me. It helped me a lot. I got out of my habits," she said.

And while she's thankful for foster care, she wants to belong to a family of her own.

"The one I'm living with, they're not really my family. They take care of me, they love me. But they have their own kids to take care of," she said.

Her big blue eyes have their sights set on a forever family. She is making memories about parents who would go out together and shop, and a dad that would do sports with her.

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July 2007

July 29, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Ashley.

Most mothers would agree that dressing up their daughter is one of the most fun parts of having a little girl. One little girl is waiting for that kind of doting attention from her own family.

Armed with a new outfit, doe eyes, and the cutest ponytail you've ever seen, Ashley, 7, is out to steal a heart. She is very petite for her age because she has cerebral palsy.

"She's always smiling, always. I've never seen her in a bad mood," foster mother Adela Medford said.

There's absolutely no denying Ashley's favorite thing in life.

"She definitely does not know what a stranger is. Everybody's her friend. If you're willing to play with her and spend time with her, she's happy," Medford said.

Her foster family says she likes to play in her special bed, plus a wheelchair and a walker.

"Putting her clothes on is a chore because she wants to do cartwheels in bed, and she's moving," Medford said.

Ashley is in a foster home for children with special needs. She's made a lot of progress in the past year. She makes more eye contact and she can move around in her walker.

Ashley needs care essentially like you would give an infant, getting dressed and eating, but she doesn't require any extra medical or specialized care.

"She doesn't have seizures or anything like that. Basically, what you see is what you get as far as her disorder. There are no real complications," Medford said.

As much as Ashley loves to be the center of attention, she needs a forever family that can dote on her for the rest of her life.

"She knows when she's cared about. When anybody walks up to her, her face lights up. She's always smiling," Medford said.

Getting adopted would give her the permanence of a family she can belong to forever. Ashley's foster mom said it melts her heart every morning when she goes to get Ashley up, and she is already awake, smiling.

Any family that adopts Ashley would be eligible for various medical assistance, including Medicaid until she's 18.

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July 22, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about
Dante, Destiney and Anthony.

Two brothers and their sister share toys, play board games together and generally watch out for one other.

Dante, Destiney and Anthony ate up the arcade games at the Putt Putt Fun Center in Killeen.

Dante, 7, said he likes to ride his bike and attach things to the spokes so it sounds like a motorcycle. His caseworker Monica Moffatt said as the youngest, he gets babied by his siblings and loves it.

"Dante, he's a little free spirit, goes with the flow. He's a talker, if he can get a word in," Moffatt said.

Destiney, 8, is a girly girl who has at least three necklaces and a bracelet to show off.

"[My foster mom] bought these two from the store. And she just gave me this out of her jewelry box," Destiney said.

"She's a little social bug. She will talk your head off. She's just fun, always happy," Moffatt said.

Big brother Anthony, 11, is considering lots of options for his future.

"Professional soccer player, football player, doctor, or scientist," Moffatt said.

The kids are in the same foster home, and keep themselves pretty entertained. But their caseworker thinks Destiney would love to take a dance class and the boys would love to play on a sports team.

The three have their normal sibling interactions, but you won't see any sibling rivalry.

"Even in the car, Anthony had some M&M's. If he ate one, he gave each of the other two," Moffatt said.

The children certainly don't lack love in their lives, but they can't be mom or dad to one another.

"I know we're going to have a happy family. I don't care what family. My brother and sister want a rich family," Anthony laughed.

All three have the same wish. Income aside, what these children really need is the wealth only a parent's love can provide.

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July 8, 2007

Click HERE to view the segment about Alex.

When children first enter foster care, a lot of their time is spent waiting. Waiting to either be reunited with their birth family, or find a new one through adoption.

Teenager Alex, who's been in foster care for a while, has only been up for adoption for a year. The possibility of a new family is changing some of the ways she looks at life.

"The first three years I was in CPS, we were fighting custody with my dad if he would take us in. But it didn't work out," she said.

That was a year ago. Now Alex has been trying to put her past behind her.

"It's what I've been through my whole life. It kind of caught up to me. It's kind of hard trying to start a new life. Because what I've been through when I was little, it got me. So I started acting bad. What changed my madness and anger management is actually talking about what happened in the past," she said.

Self-described tomboy Alex loves sports. She had to sit out part of basketball season last year, though.

"We were running drills back and forth and I slipped and twisted my ankle," she said.

She's back to normal now and ready for the next chapter in her life.

"I don't want to be the only kid, the one who's in CPS. I want to be a normal kid and not think of me as the stupid girl in CPS," she said.

Alex has been in foster care for about four years. As Alex searches for whom she wants to be, and she knows a family is part of the answer.

"I would like to have a family to depend on, not just one that looks after us. I would like to have a family that is there for me until I'm 18," she said.

Alex said she is considering being a medical ass