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Wednesday's Child: 3-Year-Old Michael

BOSTON (CBS) - Michael who also goes by Mikey is a very sweet, loving 3-year-old Caucasian toddler who has a true love for dogs. He immensely enjoys being around dogs and laughs and smiles whenever they are near. Michael also enjoys music, toys that light up, books and going outside to the playground. Michael has benefited from the structure in his foster home and has made great strides.

Over the course of Michael's life, many developmental delays as well as medical issues have become known. Among a multitude of special needs, Michael has a current diagnosis of mental retardation and visual impairment. Michael has a number of medical specialists involved in his care and he is in the Special Kids Special Care program in order to get necessary services. He receives Early Intervention services twice a week, which includes physical and feeding therapies.

Michael can become frustrated due to his lack of speech and can be difficult to redirect. He has made recent gains in communication and is able to sign more words, including "more, "all done," and "milk." He can wave good-bye and blow kisses. Michael is also fully walking now with the help of a walker. Michael is capable of learning with lots of repetition. He recently started pre-school where he receives speech and physical therapies through an Individualized Education Plan.

Michael is now legally freed for adoption and will need a patient two-parent family who will applaud his every gain in development. He will progress developmentally, but it will likely be slow. A family with a medical background who has experience parenting disabled children would be ideal. A family must be able to bring Michael to necessary medical appointments and have at least one at-home parent who can accommodate all of Michael's home-based services. The family should be willing to offer limited post adoption contact to his birth parents, including some visitation. An adoptive family should be willing to parent a child who will likely require assistance from an adult service agency when he reaches adulthood.

To learn more about Michael, and about adoption from foster care, call the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) at 617-54-ADOPT (617-542-3678) or visit www.MAREinc.org.The sooner you call, the sooner a waiting child will have "a permanent place to call HOME."

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