Monday's Child: Joel, 13, considered the 'voice of reason,' is funny and loves all animals
Joel, 13, and loves all animals.
Joel is a funny, intelligent and loving young man described as being engaging and lots of fun to talk with. He enjoys connecting with others, particularly one on one. Joel is the considered voice of reason in his peer and family relationships, always helping to solve problems. He is also described as curious and loves learning new things, especially if it involves animals. He is a great advocate for himself and will not hesitate to ask questions. Joel also enjoys playing games on his tablet and solving puzzles. Joel hopes to be a veterinarian or archaeologist one day. Joel is doing very well in school with the support of an IEP and has developed positive peer relationships. He looks forward to visiting his biological family and is very caring toward his biological siblings. Joel is always getting them gifts when they visit.
Joel will do best in any loving two-parent family constellation with or without other children in the home. He is looking for a family that has a dog or willing to get a dog. An ideal home for Joel would provide him with love, support and a great deal of structure. He is biracial, being of Hispanic and Caucasian descent, and interested families must be dedicated to providing him the appropriate information and ethnic and cultural role models about his culture that he requires, including discussing racism and discrimination. Potential families must be open to supporting his relationship with his three siblings and with his biological parents, with whom he has biweekly visits.
Can I adopt?
If you’re at least 18 years old, have a stable source of income and room in your heart, you may be a perfect match to adopt a waiting child.
Adoptive parents can be single, married or partnered; experienced or not; renters or homeowners; LGBTQ+ singles and couples. As an adoptive parent, you won’t have to pay any fees; adoption from foster care is completely free in Massachusetts.
The process to adopt a child from foster care includes training, interviews and home visits to determine if adoption is right for you. These steps will help match you with a child or sibling group that your family will fit well with.
To learn more about adoption from foster care, call the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) at (617) 964-6273 or go to mareinc.org.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Monday's Child: Joel, 13, is funny, intelligent and loves all animals
