Jessica is a sweet, beautiful young lady. Born in 1994, she is a good-natured teenager who enjoys outdoor activities. She has a great sense of style and is independent in her style choices.

Jessica says she likes school and lists math and reading as her two favorite subjects. She does well in school and has been on the honor roll in the past. She is a member of the school band, playing the snare drum most recently. She used to be in chorus, but chose to continue with band instead. Jessica also plays sports and likes basketball, softball and volleyball the most. She also likes to go to school dances with her friends.

Jessica would like to live in Maine, somewhere close to her home town. She hopes her “forever family” has animals – cats, dogs, hamsters, horses, anything she can play with and help take care of.

She wants a family to know that she likes to sit by herself when she is in a bad mood, but she admits bad moods don’t happen very often.

An affectionate boy,

Josh likes attention

Josh has a wonderful smile and always greets people with affection. Born in 1996, he loves animals, goes horseback riding and loves to swim and play in the water. He spends lots of time outside and also likes to be involved with house projects, like building or feeding animals on the farm where he lives with his foster family. He gets along well with both older and younger children.

Josh has a special bond with his foster family, a connection that will be important for Josh to maintain. He has learned sign language while being a part of a caring and supportive family.

Born with cerebral palsy, Josh is nonverbal and quite small for his age. He makes many verbal noises and uses sign language to communicate. His treatment team has been working with providers to better understand his complex needs. He has excellent receptive language skills and understands much of what is occurring around him. He receives educational and therapeutic support as well as regular assessment.

Josh is a happy child. He has a high-energy level and requires constant supervision. He has the potential to continue to gain skills in many areas of his life. He likes lots of attention and engaging with others. He needs a two-parent family that will work with providers and his school.

Jessica and Josh are two of the 147children currently in the Maine Department of Health & Human Service’s care who are seeking an adoptive family. Ninety-eight have been waiting for permanency for more than a year. There are 2,154 children in the state’s care and 1,189 licensed foster homes.

Based in Gardiner, A Family for ME is a nonprofit program that works in collaboration with Maine DHHS. For more information about foster parenting and/or the children available for adoption, contact A Family for ME toll free at 1-877-505-0545 or visit www.AFamilyForMe.org and see the Heart Gallery of photographs of children awaiting a “forever family.”