Meet Jose, a 17-year-old high school senior who loves to hang out with his friends and play soccer and video games. “He is a deeply caring, respectful, and helpful individual,” says his Child Specific Recruiter, Amy Fogel. “Jose is a protective older brother and friend, and his relationships with birth siblings are very important to him.”
Jose is always up for an adventure. Whether it’s a shopping trip, sporting event, or hanging out at the park, he’s always curious to try new things and go new places. “No matter where is or what he’s doing, he is always thoughtful and doing things like opening the door for others and asking how they are doing,” says Amy.
With his 18th birthday coming up this April, Jose is entering a critical time in his life. Like so many teens his age, he is on the cusp of aging out of foster care and what happens next in his life will make all the difference. Kids who age out of foster care are more likely to face significant life challenges than those who are placed in loving, supportive homes.
Did You Know . . .
- More than 23,000 children will age out of the US foster care system every year.
- After reaching the age of 18, 20% of the children who were in foster care will become instantly homeless.
- Only 1 out of every 2 foster kids who age out of the system will have some form of gainful employment by the age of 24.
- There is less than a 3% chance for children who have aged out of foster care to earn a college degree at any point in their life.(Source: National Foster Youth Institute)
Finding the right family to help guide and mentor him and provide love, safety and support could be life-changing during this stage in his life. “Jose needs a family that can balance structure with independence as he nears the age of 18. He wants a family’s unconditional love and support, even after he reaches adulthood. Jose would thrive in a family that understands teenagers (or is willing to learn about teenagers) and knows which battles are worth picking,” says Amy.
“Jose has experienced a lot of loss and hurt in his life. Throughout all of that, he remains hopeful that there is an adoptive family out there for him.”
Jose knows that even after turning 18, there are things that he will need a family’s help and support with. He’s expressed feeling worried about turning 18 and not having the support of a family. He looks forward to having parents who will love him unconditionally and enjoy doing activities together as a family. He describes his ideal parents as “nice, caring, friendly and fun”.
“Jose has experienced a lot of loss and hurt in his life. Throughout all of that, he remains hopeful that there is an adoptive family out there for him,” says Amy.
Details to Note
Due to contracts with the Minnesota Department of Human Services, the cost of adopting a child from Minnesota foster care is virtually free to families.
Learn More About Jose
If you would like to know more about Jose, please contact Amy Fogel at [email protected] or 651-255-2425.
