View Family Summary - A Family For Every Child

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Michael and Jessica
Oregon

Basic Info

Michael

Age: 57
Sex: Male
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian
Religion: Agnostic

Jessica

Age: 32
Sex: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian
Religion: Agnostic

Child Preferences

Age: 3 to 9 years old
Sex: Either
Max Number of Children: 1
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian, African American, Asian, Native American, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Mixed, Bi-Racial, Unknown

Special Needs the Family is Open To: Mild Physical/Medical Disability (Open to Discussion), Asthma, Drug Allergies, Environmental Allergies, Food Allergies, Physically Aggressive to Other Children, Defiant, Difficulty in Attaching, Difficulty Making Friends, Encopresis, Lying, Manipulative, Poor Social Skills, Self-Abuse, Stealing, Tantrums-Severe, Wets the Bed, Born with HIV issues or HIV Positive, Drug Addicted at Birth, Failure to Thrive, Fetal Alcohol Effected, Low Birth Weight or Premature, Prenatal Drug Exposure, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Physically Disabled-Mild, Hearing Impaired, Speech Delays - Mild, Vision Impaired, Anorexia/Bulimia, Hoarding, Overeating, Pica, Academically behind due to poor attendance, Cognitive Delay - Mild, Expulsion(s), Has Behavior Problems in School, Mild Learning Disabilities, Moderate Learning Disabilities, Speech or Language Impairment, Suspension(s), One/Both Parents Diagnosed with Depression, 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, Arthritis, Diabetes, Epilepsy, Hemophilia, HIV, Missing Limbs: May Require Prosthesis, Seizures, Sickle Cell Disease, Sickle Cell Traits, Spinal Bifida, Adjustment Disorder, Autism, Bipolar Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Depression, Intermittent Explosive Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Reactive Attachment Disorder, Requires Medication For Psychiatric Condition/Mental Health Diagnosis, Requires Counseling/Therapy, Animal Abuse, Destructive of Property, Runaway - Occasionally, Runaway - Past, 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, Alcohol Use, Marijuana, Smokes Cigarettes

Environment

State: Oregon
Neighborhood: Country/Rural
Residency:
Years Together: 6
Children in the Home: 0
Pet(s): Dog(s), fish

Work

Michael

Occupation: Project Management - Engineering

Jessica

Occupation: Retail Sales

Adoption Agency

Agency: A Family for Every Child
Worker: Mae Salas
Worker: mae@afamilyforeverychild.org
City: Eugene
State: Oregon
Zip: 97402

Family Description

Michael and Jessica are a committed and caring couple who enjoy camping, hiking, and being outdoors. They live on a small farm located in Sherwood, Oregon. Mike and Jessica previously provided foster care for children between the ages of two and eight. During this time they supported children with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), food hoarding, stealing, lying, aggression, speech delays, and incontinence. Michael works full time as a project manager for a medical device company. Jessica is self employed and works from home. Their family currently includes three dogs: Keena & Ella, both 4-year old whippets, and Mia, our 11-year old Chihuahua. Kids love these dogs! Michael and Jesisca have always wanted to expand their family through adoption and have a strong network of people who will provide love and support for their child. They are ready and eager about the prospect of getting to know a child.

Preference Description

Our adopted child should be between the ages of 3 and 9 years of age and any cultural or ethnic background. Mild medical, learning, or behavioral issues will not stop our love. The child should not have recent and repetitive aggression towards animals.

The Ayton-Wagner Family Profile

We think a single child of any race, gender, or cultural heritage will find our home to be a great fit! We are eager to welcome a preschool or early grade school aged child to our home, preferable between the ages of 3 and 9. Mild medical, learning, or behavioral issues will not stop our love. A child with a recent and repetitive history of harm to pets or animal would not be a good fit for our family.

We will support safe communication with birth parents. We believe the more people who love our child, the better. We will make it a priority to stay in contact with siblings, relatives, and anyone else that they are missing (if it is safe for the child).

We prefer to grow our family with a child that loves animals, enjoys the outdoors, and has a desire to learn. Most importantly, we want to provide a child with a safe and loving home!

Introduction

Thank you for taking the time to get to know us! We are Jessica and Michael from Sherwood, OR. We want you to know that if you consider our family, we will spend the rest of our lives making our child feel loved. We have always wanted to expand our family through adoption and have a strong network of people who will provide love and support for our child. We are ready and eager about the prospect of getting to know our child.

Michael is a creative, silly, handy, active, intelligent, caring, and loving father to three adult aged children. He was adopted at birth and has a first-hand understanding of how important it is for a child to have a loving and supportive forever family. Michael has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and a master's degree in business administration. For the past 15 years, he has worked as a project manager for a medical device manufacturer developing lifesaving implantable devices. Outside of work, Michael loves to spend time outdoors working on the family farm. His other interests included playing ice hockey, going camping, day trips to the beach, outings on the boat, and lifelong learning.

Jessica is a loving, empathetic, compassionate, and dedicated mother-to-be. Jessica has an associate degree in mechanical engineering technology with a minor in green technology and sustainability. She has been running her own business from home which provides a flexible schedule. She will support a child's interests to explore everything life has to offer. Jessica loves outdoor activities including gardening, hiking, boating, walks on the beach, and taking her dogs for a walk.

We have been a committed, loving, stable, energetic couple for almost five years. Whether we are vacationing in Disneyland or taking a trip to the local post office, we love spending time together. Laughter plays a big role in our life. We have a strong bond built on trust, compassion, admiration, mutual respect, and love. Together we make a great team and bring out the best in each other. We enjoy many activities such as traveling, adventures with our dogs, water activities like swimming and boating, watching movies, attending community events (festivals, markets, and Winterhawks hockey games), and spending time with friends and family.

Our family currently includes three dogs: Keena & Ella, both 4-year old whippets (smaller version of a greyhound), and Mia, our 11-year old Chihuahua. Keena and Ella were part of an 11-puppy litter and given to us from a lovely lady we call Grandma Pam. Whippets have one of the best temperaments and you will find them spending time playing with one another on the farm or more likely loafing on the couch. Mia is a small older black Chihuahua with her own unique yet friendly personality. Kids love these dogs.

Home and Community

Our home is our sanctuary. We live on a small piece of farmland just outside of the city of Sherwood, Oregon. Our home is a 3-level farm home built is 1925 which has undergone extensive renovations over the years. The home has a total of 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. The kitchen and main living area were completely remodeled just before we purchased the home 2 years ago. The main area makes a perfect decorating canvas for various holidays, and entertaining friends and family.

The community of Sherwood is located roughly 30 minutes from downtown Portland, Oregon. We may be considered rural, but we are less than five minutes from the downtown area of Sherwood where you can find all the standard amenities you would expect to find in any city. There are multiple playgrounds and parks just minutes away from our home. Sherwood has a fantastic library with huge section of the building dedicated to teaching children. There is an elementary school just down the road from our house and a new high school currently under development. The school system boasts programs available to special needs kids and there is a YMCA just down the road that has lots of great after school programs. The community of Sherwood has all sorts of family friendly events that happen throughout the year including movies in the park, the Robin Hood Festival, and a newly opened family fun center.

Parenting Experience

Michael has extensive parenting experience with three adult aged children from a prior marriage. Brandon (18), Danielle (19), and Nicole (21). When fostering, all 3 kids were receptive of the fact that we were helping children in a moment of crisis. Brandon comes over to our house on a regular basis and was like a big brother to the foster kids in our care. Jessica has always enjoyed being around children. She began babysitting when she was 11 and was a trusted caregiver for many families. In high school she volunteered at the elementary school and even had a second-grade pen pal. Foster parenting prepared her for trauma informed parenting and understanding the emotional hurdles special needs children face. Maternal instincts and bonding came easily as a foster mom. Teaching, playing, and loving brought her so much joy. Jessica loved helping them with homework, playing board games, doing some of her favorite crafts she did as a kid, helping them learn valuable life skills, and being there to talk openly and answer the difficult questions.

We recognize the unique challenges of adopting from the foster care. In preparation, we have not only taken the state-mandated training sessions, but we have also completed extensive online research and joined several local foster support groups. Our biggest learning experiences came from fostering children that we had in our home. There is no better experience than firsthand experience.

Support

Jessica's extended family lives in Aloha and Beaverton, Oregon. Michael's extended family live in Vancouver, Canada. Our families are incredibly supportive of our adoption journey and we keep in close contact with all of them. Our good friend Dana was a respite provider for us on a couple of occasions when we were a foster family. During our foster care journey, we solicited support from mentors, counselors, therapists, and the children's teachers to ensure their needs were being met.

As we share news of our adoption plans with or friends and family, everyone has been extremely enthusiastic and incredibly supportive. They are looking forward to knowing us as new parents and loving our child.

Motivation to Adopt

Michael was adopted at birth and Jessica has always considered adopting as a way to grow a family. There are so many events and experiences we want to share with our child. In our hearts, adoption is the right path for us. Family is not defined by blood, but by the care and love we express for one another. We look forward to meeting our child and welcoming him or her into a life of love and care. We feel blessed to have a choice about how to grow our family. We have chosen foster care adoption because our hearts and hopes rest in loving someone as a choice, not just a birthright.

Now you know our story and the progress up to now. The home study process has really been helpful and just reinforced the desire to adopt a child. We are grateful to you for listening to our story!