12.18.08 Wanting to be wanted: Teens in foster care are the hardest to place
From the Boulder Daily Camera
"Jonathon just turned 13. His days are ticking by. Look at how he chews at his lips and breathes deeply before speaking. The inhale: fear. The exhale: hope. He tries not to hold his breath, because that would mean holding on to the fear.
"Jonathon is a teenager. And that is terrifying -- even for a kid who has been through as much as Jonathon has. No, especially for a kid like him.
"We're not talking standard teen anxiety -- fears about puberty, pimples or high school. Although Jonathon has to shoulder that, too.
"Jonathon is no longer a "kid" and is now stuck in the hardest age group to place. Every year, he grows less likely to find a family. And the arrival of a holiday season that centers around family makes Jonathon's reality even harder to face..."
