Born in July 1992, Tricia has excellent verbal and social skills, which have helped her succeed in life. She has a bright personality and is enjoyable to spend time with because of her varied interests.

Tricia likes such outdoor activities as boating, swimming, fishing, kayaking, sports and going on family outings. She loves to spend time with friends. She also does arts and crafts, creative writing and reads with her family. She is learning the value of down time and spending time by herself. She listens to music to relax and would like to learn to play the guitar.

She is a hard worker who makes honest attempts to meet her responsibilities.

A traditional, two-parent family has been recommended for Tricia. Her adoptive parents should be mature and experienced. She will benefit from parents who will advocate for her regarding her educational plan. She would do best as an only child or the much younger child in a family, so she can receive the individual attention she deserves. A family with pets or large farm animals would be ideal. Tricia would like to stay in contact with birth family members, and that would be appropriate.

Kaylee likes spending time outdoors

A nature lover who enjoys observing plants, insects and animals, Kaylee, born in 1990, enjoys outdoor activities. She likes going to the movies, shopping, roller-skating, visiting amusement parks and going out to eat. She loves to garden and raise indoor plants. When not outside riding her bicycle or swimming, Kaylee gets creative with arts-and-crafts projects, coloring, drawing, scrap-booking and piecing together challenging puzzles.

Kaylee has made great progress and is presently living in a foster home. She thrives on individual attention from adults. She can be quite loving and has an intriguing ability to clearly voice her thoughts and feelings.

Kaylee’s adoptive family should be nurturing and able to provide structure and consistency. They should provide stimulating opportunities to help her gain experience and self-assurance, and to improve her social awareness. Kaylee’s parents should be committed to advocating for her educational needs. A two-parent or single parent family, with adequate supports, would be considered. Kaylee has two younger brothers with whom she has maintained contact. A family who is willing to arrange occasional visits with her biological brothers would be ideal. An adoption subsidy may be available to the most appropriate family.

Tricia and Kaylee are two of 144 children currently in the Maine Department of Health & Human Service’s care who are seeking an adoptive family. 106 of those children have been waiting for permanency for more than a year.

There are 2,254 children in the state’s care and 1,203 licensed foster homes.

Based in Gardiner, A Family for ME is a nonprofit program that works in collaboration with Maine DHHS to find foster and adoptive families. A Family for ME & Chuck Pelletier Images of Lewiston have photographed 279 children for the Heart Gallery on its Web site, www.AFamilyForMe.org. 156 of those children have been placed in loving permanent homes.

For more information about foster parenting and/or the children available for adoption, call A Family for ME toll free at 1-877-505-0545, or visit the Web site.