Alexis: Wednesday’s Child

Alexis is a delightful young teen who loves having family pets (pugs are her favorites) and would love to be part of an adoptive family that has a baby at home, especially a baby under age 1.

As a Christian, Alexis wants to have a Christian family with parent(s) who are open to her listening to the kind of music she enjoys (One Direction is definitely a top favorite!), and going to dances. Alexis is that rather rare teen who loves to clean and cook, so there should be lots of opportunities for her to be able to earn an allowance, which she would love. Alexis has a wide range of “favorite” pastimes: she enjoys crafts (with a recent interest in taking a pottery class), cheerleading, swimming, and spending leisure time at the local Boys & Girls Club in various activities. While Alexis loves the outdoors, she sees herself as a “city girl” who loves shopping at Aeropostale, and Hollister.

Alexis was student of the month three different times in school last year. Now in eighth grade, she is attending school on the campus of her therapeutic group home. She benefits from having an IEP and being in a program where the teacher breaks down larger tasks for her so that her assignments are more manageable. Alexis is an interactive, positive member in her group home, where she is an effective advocate for herself. As with many teenagers, her behavioral repertoire can at times include such age-appropriate behavior as rolling her eyes, questioning the validity of a rule, or being slow to follow directions.

Alexis has come such a long way in her personal growth. She is developing insight into her issues and recognizes the areas where she needs to do further work to prepare for transitioning into an adoptive family and moving forward in her life. In a recent conversation with her social worker, Alexis revealed that she wants a family who will take the time to understand the circumstances that brought her into foster care; she also wants her family’s full support as she continues her therapeutic work in learning to trust adults and to manage her mood ups and downs. Medication therapy is also an important component of her treatment plan. The staff at her group home tells us that Alexis is consistently improving in her willingness to meet behavioral expectations and using her Dialectical Behavioral Therapy skills.

Alexis tends to be a follower who readily picks up on the mood of a situation and will follow the behavior of other kids around her. When the mood of a situation is calm, she will be calm; when around kids who are upbeat and positive, she will be upbeat and positive. Of course, the opposite happens too.

Alexis does best when she has time to process verbal information and requests before being given feedback and consequences. It is important that the caregiver in her life develop the ability to ignore some mild behaviors that are not hurtful or dangerous. Alexis is regularly able to take responsibility for her actions and choices. She can accept feedback, admit fault, and make amends. She admits that she sometimes acts out to get attention when caregivers are busy with other children.

Legally free, Alexis came into foster care in 2008 due to neglect and abuse amid parental drug abuse and domestic violence.

Alexis would like to have a single or two-mom family or a mom-and-dad family. She tells us that she is ready to start moving on in her life with, as she puts it, a “forever and ever” family of her own.

For adoption information call the Northwest Adoption Exchange at (800) 927-9411.