Ari is a kind, caring, hilarious 17-year-old in his senior year of high school. One of his favorite subjects in school is science because he loves to learn about how things work.
Outside of school, Ari has many interests! He enjoys comedy, watching YouTube, playing video games, basketball, football, dancing, being around animals, and making arts and crafts. Ari enjoys being active, both physically and as part of the community. One thing Ari is looking forward to in life is getting a dog (preferably a small or medium-sized one)! “Ari loves dogs and would love to be able to take care of one. He feels it would put a smile on his face every day,” says Hayley, his Child Specific Recruiter.
Ari is amazing and has so much potential. He has the ability to make a room light up and make everyone smile and laugh! —Hayley Persons, Child Specific Recruiter
“Right now, we are looking for a mentor family that would be able to come alongside Ari and support him,” says Hayley. “This family needs to be LGBTQ+ affirming and would preferably have resources and knowledge to support Ari. Other youth in the family would be okay, along with pets.”
A mentor family would need to be flexible with Ari, and at the same time be persistent in supporting him. He has not been very open to accepting help, but we hope that we can find a good fit for him where he would then be able to open up. A prospective family would also have to be willing to provide long-term support as Ari graduates high school next year and goes into extended foster care. Overall, Ari just needs people in his life who love and care for him.
It is crucial for Ari to have people in his life who he can trust and who he knows won’t leave him. “He just wants to be accepted, appreciated, and loved,” says Hayley. “Ari has gone through a lot, so he struggles with grief and trauma. A family would need to be trauma-informed and have resources for Ari to work through things.”
Ari is strong and can advocate for his own needs, but he needs people in his life who can help him follow through on his goals. Despite or maybe because of the challenges he’s faced, Ari really wants to become a parody rap YouTuber—his dream is to make people laugh. Ari is super creative and can write and perform raps that he thinks are funny. He also is thinking of starting his own business, but he doesn’t know what it would be just yet.
“Ari is amazing and has so much potential,” says Hayley. “He has the ability to make a room light up and make everyone smile and laugh!”
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 Ari
If you would like to know more about Ari, please contact Hayley Persons at [email protected] or 651-255-2236. Families may have to provide certain documentation to receive full information.
