There are more than 750 children who are ready for adoption in Virginia. They are ready to find a permanent and loving forever family. 10 News is sharing the stories of one child who needs a home every day in November in 30 Days of Hope. The children are of all ages and races and were put into foster care due to no fault of their own. 2023 marks the seventh year 10 News is doing this series.
Virginia has the highest number of kids in the country aging out of foster care without a family. 10 News is trying to change that by showing you just some of the kids who want to be adopted.
“All I’ve ever wanted was a normal life—just living in a normal house, normal neighborhood, a couple of friends; that’s pretty much it,” said Jason.
The 17-year-old is proud of several things in his life.
“Maintaining composure throughout foster care, my artwork, how I’ve impacted other people.”
He describes a family as “a pack, reliable, trustworthy.”
This is the second year he’s been on 30 Days of Hope.
“My friends describe me [as] very caring, very passionate about what I’m passionate about. I’m passionate about friends obviously; I’m passionate about my art, how I present myself, just basic stuff like that.”
Jason’s interests have varied over the years. He’s spent time skateboarding and playing sports outside. He enjoys football and watching the Houston Texans. Jason enjoys playing video games and has learned how to play the guitar and drums.
He said seeing other people happy makes him happy.
Jason doesn’t know what wants to be when he grows up, but he does want to go to college.
Jason is a resilient young man. He is savvy, polite and enjoys joking around. He enjoys reading graphic novels and stories that involve action. His favorite authors are James Patterson and Suzanne Collins. Jason enjoys spending time with friends and finds humor and trust to be important parts of a friendship.
Jason would like to have a family that is willing to work things out calmly. He also feels that a family would help him with his homework or provide tutoring. Jason wants people to know that he is funny and chill, but he is also passionate.
There are about 5,000 children in Virginia’s foster care program and more than 750 of those children can be adopted. If you have questions about foster care/adoption, contact the VDSS Division of Family Services Adoption Recruitment Coordinator, at adoptioninquiries@dss.virginia.gov.
You can see more about Jason here. I Belong Project™ videos are a project of Virginia’s Kids Belong in cooperation with America’s Kids Belong.
To see other 30 Days of Hope stories visit us here.
We also have a list of frequently asked questions about foster care and adoption including the qualifications, cost, and training required in this link.