Naila is very active and likes to play chase where she runs to you, touches you, then runs away laughing. She is very attentive to what is going on around her and will follow simple commands.
Special Needs No Obstacle
for Adoptive Mom
Love, care, and time - that's the formula used by Alejandra Melendez to help kids with special needs thrive. "All children, regardless of their condition, need a chance," said Alejandra Melendez, who recently adopted her second and third special needs foster children in El Paso's District Court. Standing in front of Judge Oscar Gabaldon, Melendez consummated the adoptions of 17-year-old Corina and 6-year-old Erika .
As director of the Miracle Kids Support Group for foster parents, Melendez is no stranger to nurturing children with special needs. Fifteen years ago, she adopted a child who was born with cerebral palsy. "He's doing well. He's now 20-years old and still living in our home," she said. The Miracle Kids Support Group is all about getting parents of special needs kids the training and resources they need. Melendez first got involved because of her adoptive son's needs. At the time, there was no information readily available on services. For Melendez, these special children are her calling in life. The sacrifice is well worth it, because, as she says, "you get what you give, and they give me so much love!"
- adapted from an article by Paul Zimmerman, Region 10 Public Information Officer
President Kicks Off Foster Care MonthPresident Barack Obama kicked off National Foster Care Month by issuing a proclamation recognizing the promise and potential of youth in care. In his statement he highlighted some of the goals and accomplishments of his administration as they pertain to youth in care. The proclamation also celebrates the child welfare workforce and the foster parents who give so much to these youth. In addition to diligently working to implement the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act, President Obama and his Administration provided more than $35 million in 2009 to the Adoption Incentives program in order to increase the number of children adopted from the foster care system, as well as funding for the IV-E adoption and foster care assistance program through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The recent enactment of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will ensure Medicaid coverage for former foster youth beginning in 2014. President Obama ended his statement with a call to celebrate the triumphs of children and youth in care, as well as the commitment to continue to work to remove barriers to permanency. |
Texas Adoption Day
Sec. 662.053 TEXAS ADOPTION DAY (a) The Saturday before Thanksgiving Day of each year is Texas Adoption Day to celebrate and encourage adoption, adoptive families, and adoption workers in Texas. (b) Texas Adoption Day shall be regularly observed by appropriate ceremonies and activities that encourage participation in and raise awareness about the adoption process and that honor adoptive families and adoption workers in Texas. (c) The Department of Family and Protective Services shall create a statewide awareness campaign to promote Texas Adoption Day and shall coordinate ceremonies and activities held throughout the state. |
Photo listings are updated daily. Families with approved home studies can inquire through the child's interest form on their photo/profile page. Go to "View Waiting Children".
Note: Children come into the care of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) due to abuse or neglect. Therefore, families who adopt children through the agency should have an understanding or be willing to learn the dynamics of neglect, physical or sexual abuse.