The children we have featured on our website who wait for adoptive families

  • are most often in the foster care system and cannot return to their birth families for a variety of reasons.
  • need help overcoming hurt related to past trauma(s) and/or abandonment.
  • are often part of a sibling (brothers and/or sisters) group.
  • are often older than four years of age and behind emotionally.

While you may not see “all” of the children in need of a “no matter what” family in our Gallery, please understand that those who are waiting share similar hopes for a family and similar obstacles to being matched with one. If these children do not seem like a “match,” chances are others who are not featured here will not be a “match,” either. However, if you have patience and perseverance and are willing to adapt your home and life to fit a child’s needs, please keep pursuing and learning more about adopting from foster care.

Please keep in mind that, in order to be considered for a child within our Gallery, you must have an approved public adoption home study. If you are unsure if your home study is public, please contact us via phone (414-475-1246 or 800-762-8063) or email info@coalitionforcyf.org.

Lastly, please keep in mind that circumstances for the children within the Gallery can change rather quickly and for a variety of reasons. When a child is listed as waiting, this means the child is quite literally “waiting” for their “no matter what” family and are still available. If a child is listed as matched, this typically means the child’s social work team has identified a match with a prospective “no matter what” family. The Coalition will continue to collect inquiries for a child listed as matched, and this information will be shared with the child’s social work team in the event that permanency falls through for whatever reason.

We invite you to check out our tip sheet, Not Too Old for Forever: Adopting Older Youth.

Jerimiah

Jerimiah thrives on routine and is an excellent self-advocate. He likes to exercise and runs on the treadmill daily. Jerimiah prefers to play by himself and is a big fan of cartoons. His favorite shows are Peppa Pig, Blues Clues, and Blippi. Jerimiah also enjoys dancing, jumping on the [...]

Serena

Is there a sweeter sound than a child laughing? Serena has an infectious giggle that accompanies her silly sense of humor. She is empathetic and loving, enjoys being a helper, and thrives on receiving positive praise. Serena has many interests: listening to music, singing along to her favorite [...]

Layla

Layla is a funny, artistic, and caring girl who likes to stay busy and help others. This active teenager likes to assist with cooking, chores around the house, and caring for younger children. Layla is an animal lover who likes to be around horses and would love to volunteer at a farm or animal [...]

Michael

Michael is an outgoing, adventurous boy who enjoys trying new things. He has a great imagination and likes anything mechanical. Michael is adept at building and taking things apart to see how they work. Although he prefers to play alone, he likes cooking and cleaning with his current caregiver. [...]

Nevaeh

Nevaeh is a sweet, charismatic child who loves to learn and considers herself a bookworm. She enjoys working on puzzles, drawing, watching movies, cheerleading, and dancing. Outside, you can often find Nevaeh on the playground, jumping rope, playing hopscotch, or playing tag with friends. [...]

Caleb

Who wants tacos for dinner? Definitely Caleb! He describes his dream day as eating his favorite food at a Mexican restaurant. Caleb is a happy, healthy, and emotionally intelligent child who strives to do his best. Always ready for adventure, he keeps himself busy with many interests. Caleb [...]

Christopher

Christopher is a loving, sweet, and quiet youth who has many interests. He enjoys spending time playing games on his tablet, making creations from modeling clay, going to the movies, playing board games, and skating. In school, his favorite subjects are math and computers. He is not a fan of [...]

Keyaisa

Many things are important to Keyaisa, but when asked about her interests, food was often the answer. One of the things she is most proud of is how much she can eat. One of her wishes if she could have anything in the world would be unlimited McDonalds! And a little ice cream can always […]

Kash

Let us introduce you to Kash! This sweet, kind, and engaging boy has lots of energy. Kash is curious, helpful, and has been described as a “chatterbox.” He’s got plenty to say if you’re willing to listen! Kash is a big fan of superheroes and Spiderman is his ultimate favorite. When he’s not [...]

Dominic

Dominic is a pleasant young man who’s passionate about the environment. He loves science, bird watching, and being in nature. He is skilled in identifying rocks and wants to be a geologist when he grows up. If he could go anywhere in the world, he would visit the Bermuda Triangle because [...]