View Family Summary - A Family For Every Child

For further information, please call 877-343-2856 or email matching@afamilyforeverychild.org

Stephanie and Mary
Oregon

Basic Info

Stephanie

Age: 30
Sex: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian
Religion: None

Mary

Age: 30
Sex: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian, Pacific Islander
Religion: Agnostic

Child Preferences

Age: Infant to 6 years old
Sex: Either
Max Number of Children: 2
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian, African American, Asian, Native American, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Mixed, Bi-Racial, Unknown

Special Needs the Family is Open To: Any Child, Drug Allergies, Environmental Allergies, Food Allergies, Defiant, Difficulty in Attaching, Difficulty Making Friends, Encopresis, Lying, Poor Social Skills, Self-Abuse, Stealing, Tantrums-Severe, Wets the Bed, Drug Addicted at Birth, Low Birth Weight or Premature, Prenatal Drug Exposure, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Hearing Impaired, Speech Delays - Mild, Anorexia/Bulimia, Hoarding, Overeating, Academically behind due to poor attendance, Cognitive Delay - Mild, Has Behavior Problems in School, Mild Learning Disabilities, One/Both Parents Diagnosed with Depression, One/Both Parents Diagnosed with Schizophrenia, One/Both Parents Have Alcohol Addiction, One/Both Parents Have Drug Addiction, One/Both Parents Diagnosed with Bipolar, Exposed to Domestic Violence, One/Both Parents Have Had a Mental Diagnosis, Child in Residential Treatment, Child has had a disrupted adoption, Multiple Placements, Residential Treatment History, ADHD, Diabetes, Adjustment Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Requires Medication For Psychiatric Condition/Mental Health Diagnosis, Requires Counseling/Therapy, Destructive of Property, Willing to Maintain Contact via Mail with Bio Family, Willing to Maintain Contact with Past Foster Parents, Willing to Maintain Contact with Bio Grandparents & Other Relatives, Willing to Maintain Contact with Bio Siblings, Child Identifies as LGBT, Sexually Abused in the Past

Environment

State: Oregon
Neighborhood: Suburban
Residency:
Years Together: 9
Children in the Home: 0
Pet(s): Dog(s), cat(s)

Work

Stephanie

Occupation: Organizational Change Management Lead

Mary

Occupation: Self-employed

Adoption Agency

Agency: A Family For Every Child
Worker: Dina Badolato
Worker: d.badolato@affec.org
City: Eugene
State: Oregon
Zip: 97402

Family Description

Our names are Stephanie, Mary and Preston. We have been together as a couple for over 10 years, and as a family for almost 3. We are excited to expand our family, and are looking to adopt an individual child or sibling set. Our lifestyle would work best with a child who enjoys being active, creative, and needs structure. Some of our favorite things to do are spending time together as a family, hiking, playing basketball, swimming/kayaking at the lake, reading at night, watching movies, and we especially love family vacations. Stephanie is an Organizational Change Management professional in the financial industry and works from home. She plans to take leave to establish a bond once a child has been placed in the home. Mary is a Real Estate Broker and is fortunate to be established enough that her team provides her the flexibility of being a full-time stay-at-home parent as needed. She is also a high school basketball and tennis coach. Preston is 9 years old and attends the local elementary school. He is established with phenomenal services in speech and occupational therapy, as well as play therapy which we also use as family therapy when needed. If you have any further questions, please contact our agent for a copy of our home study.

Preference Description

Likes being active and enjoying animals. Generally, we're very open.

The Brooks-Olarte Family Profile

We are hoping to match with a child or siblings under the age of 6. We are open to different ethnicities and genders. We are also open to continued contact with the foster parent(s).

Who We Are

We are an active family of three. Our lives were brightened with the adoption of our first son who is now 9 years old. Having two dogs and two cats means there is even more love around every corner in our home. As a family, we love arts, crafts, games, dancing, movie nights, outdoor adventures (hiking, kayaking, etc.), sports, and travel. We are a social family with lots of great people and children in our lives. Each season brings its own adventure. In the summer we often find ourselves at the lake close to our home or at the family beach house at the coast. The fall is filled with pumpkin patches, cocoa, and muddy adventures. In the winter we like to visit the mountain to go sledding and cozy up by the fire to a good movie. But for us, it doesn't matter what season it is as long as we're together.

A Message From Future Big Brother Preston

Dear Adult People,

I am so excited because I will be a good brother. I'll play games with them, and I'll dance with them (fill in Batman theme song). Aaaaand I will build art with them and play board games with them and play hide and seek with them and play Guess Who with them and play Don't Break The Ice with them. And every night I'll read a book to them.

From your big brother, Preston

Our Home and Community

Mary is an established Real Estate Broker with a team and will be home with the children full time. Stephanie works from home full time as well. We live in a quiet suburban community near the local schools. Our neighborhood is full of children. Our son has made friends with a majority of them. We are within walking distance of several parks, and about 15 minutes away from Hagg Lake. We're involved in local activities and our son has participated in baseball, dance, and jiu-jitsu. Our son attends the local elementary school close to our home. They offer education specialists that help facilitate IEPs, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. All of which we currently take advantage of in combination with a separate child therapeutic center where our son receives individual services. We have seen how big of an impact these kinds of services make, and want all of our children to have as many resources as we can provide. You wouldn't think our son is the same kid we brought home. Forest Grove is a small and diverse community with Pacific University as a landmark. It often offers community activities for families to attend. Mary grew up in Portland, so she has a lot of family in the area. She is very close with her siblings and parents. They, especially her sister, will be our primary support. Stephanie s family lives up North in Washington, so it is logistically more challenging. Her mother plans to come and visit as often as she can. They also have many friends with children within the Forest Grove community who can provide support when needed.

What We've Learned As Parents

We have both been working with children in a variety of ways since we were teenagers. Since we have adopted, it was clear that all of our experiences paid off. Our son was a tough case and spent time in 9 different professional homes before coming home to us. We are very involved with his therapists and teachers so that we can closely monitor his progress and respond to any needs as they pop up. Working so closely with his play therapist has taught us a lot about how to continue the support in the home. His speech therapy has given us skills to help him continue to improve outside of his sessions. When he came home you couldn't understand him, now I'd be surprised if you couldn't. His occupational therapy has taught us the importance of grip and core strength along with some great at-home activities to help improve in these areas. We know we're never done learning as parents, and that our next kid(s) will have needs that aren't identical to our sons, but the lessons we hold on to will give us a head start at helping them feel safe, feel loved, and thrive.

Motivation to Adopt

We understand that adopting a child with a traumatic past means that there will be challenges along the way. That does not scare either of us. We are deeply committed to helping our children overcome and adapt to a safe and secure home. Our goal is that they will learn that we will be there for them no matter what, and we are not going anywhere. Having been adopted out of foster care, Stephanie has a unique understanding of how this transition feels. With experience and love on our side, we know we will make this family work.