JALEN

Jalen can be very shy with new people, but once he opens up the first thing you will notice is his smile. He likes to be active and plays football and basketball. He noted that his favorite basketball team is the Miami Heat. When Jalen grows up he would like to be a football player and reported that even though he is small, he’s good at football because he is quick. He likes to paint and has painted a picture of him dunking a basketball. On the weekends, Jalen likes to go shopping whenever possible, and one of his favorite things to shop for are new shoes. He loves gym shoes but would also like a pair of dress shoes for special occasions. In addition, he likes to play video games on his PSP, and his favorite foods are pizza and grilled cheese. Jalen also enjoys roller-skating and has taught himself to skate backwards and do tricks.

Jalen has been making real progress in his current placement, in terms of managing his emotions on a consistent basis. He has learned that positive actions result in positive rewards in his life. Jalen likes to interact with his peers at times, but prefers the tranquility of spending time alone. He does have some developmental delays and benefits from patience, support and a structured environment. Jalen is working on being aware of, and respecting the personal boundaries of others. Jalen has made positive progress in therapy with opening up about his past. He can be easily influenced by his peers, but is learning to follow his own path and make his own decisions. Jalen is a little weary about his adoption goal and will need patience in this area.

Jalen is in need of either a one male or two-parent adoptive family who provides him with a loving and encouraging home environment. The family must be understanding and completely supportive of Jalen and be willing to work with him to ensure he continues to progress and succeed in his life. He would benefit from guidance on being respectful of the personal space and boundaries of others. The adoptive family must be active advocates for him at home, at school and in the community. The family must be willing to seek out any additional support services that would be beneficial to his well-being. Jalen would benefit from a family, preferably African-American, who would have a strong male figure who could model positive relationships with women for Jalen. The family must be willing to adopt not only Jalen, but also his brother Javon.

For more information, contact the Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange at 800-589-6273.

This child’s page was developed with support from: