Artwork brought home from 1^st grade with a proud smile and excitement at Mom wanting to hang it on the fridge.  Sticky faces and fingers after devouring an ice cream cone.  Sweet homemade holiday decorations.  Messy handwriting, but trying so hard to be neat.  Bedtime stories and tuck-in routines.  Sounding out words while learning to read.  Curiosity and questions galore!  Laughing hysterically when Dad makes a goofy face and does a silly dance.  Booster seats in the car.  Light-up toothbrushes.  Knock knock jokes.  The list goes on and on.

6 is such a magical age.  They are still so very little with so many firsts yet to come!  But they are also so filled with life and personality it’s fun to start imaging the person they are becoming.  Oftentimes prospective adoptive parents are most interested in a ‘young’ child, with 5 being an arbitrary cut of date of what age makes a child young versus older.  But 6-year-olds still very much need a Mom and Dad – still very much need a family.

Children who had hard starts in life, or who spent time in institutional care, often missed out on the consistent physical and emotional nurturance that all babies and toddlers need.  They may come into your lives with a very empty ‘cuddle’ cup, requiring you to revisit those very important moments of connection they missed out on.  If you think adopting a 6-year-old will mean that you will not get hugs, and snuggles, and rocking chair time, and singling lullabies, and having your child fall asleep in your arms, you are mistaken!  Your child will need that connection even more so, plus you get all the fun that comes along with having a 6-year-old!

 We are currently seeking 3-4 qualified families open to adopting a child with no or minor needs between the ages of 4-7 from Thailand.  Parents must be under the age of 47, in good physical and mental health, with stable income to support a child, and have no more than one child already in the home.  If you are interested in learning more, please contact Lindsay.Hatcher@Gladney.org or complete and submit our Prospective Adoptive Parent form.