Monday's Child: Raelynn, 4, special little girl

Raelynn, 4, is a very special little girl.

Raelynn is a sweet young girl of caucasian descent who enjoys playing with her toys, listening to music, going outside on the swings and taking long walks in her stroller. Raelynn also loves receiving attention and having physical contact with those around her. Her social worker describes her as “precious” and “very special.”

Raelynn has complex medical needs and with support she has been able to make great progress. She is currently not able to walk or crawl and will most likely be wheelchair-dependent. However, her providers say that over the past year she has made great progress in terms of her health and cognitive development and especially in her social development. Although Raelynn has resided in a medical facility her whole life, she has recently been able to transition to a specialized foster home.

Legally freed for adoption, Raelynn’s social worker is seeking a loving family of any constellation that is able to support her medical and developmental needs. Her social worker feels that Raelynn will do well as an only child or with siblings. Any family for Raelynn must be open to helping her maintain a relationship with her paternal grandparents who are very involved in her care and medical treatment.

Who can adopt?

If you’re at least 18, have a stable source of income and room in your heart, you may be a perfect match to adopt a waiting child. Adoptive parents can be single, married or partnered; experienced or not; renters or homeowners; LGBTQ+ singles and couples. As an adoptive parent, you won’t have to pay any fees; adoption from foster care is completely free in Massachusetts.

The process to adopt a child from foster care includes training, interviews and home visits to determine if adoption is right for you. These steps will help match you with a child or sibling group that your family will fit well with.

To learn more about adoption from foster care, call the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange at (617) 964-6273 or visit www.mareinc.org. Start the process today and give a waiting child a permanent place to call home.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Monday's Child: Raelynn, 4, special little girl