Tara from Virginia

Meet Tara! Growing up in rural Virginia, Tara has developed a passion for animals. She has mentioned on several occasions she would love to be a veterinarian one day. There have been many weekends spent volunteering at the local animal shelter. Tara would love to be in a home that can continue to nurture her love of animals and would especially love a dog in her home. Tara's favorite things to do are read, write, and draw. Her current interests are anime and romance novels. She can spend all day wrapped up with a good book. In school, her passions continue as her favorite subjects are reading and art. Tara has a great sense of humor and loves to make others laugh. She is a great storyteller. There is never a dull moment when Tara is nearby! As she grows into a teenager, Tara enjoys learning independent living skills like cooking. She loves all foods and is not a picky eater. Tara is currently learning the difference between healthy/unhealthy foods and how they make her body feel (though sometimes she can't help but sit down with a delicious bag of Takis!) She would love to be able to learn skills in her forever home. Tara has a big personality, a kind heart, likes helping others, and thrives during one-on-one interactions. She does well when she has opportunities to express herself and she feels like her feelings are validated. She is honest, self-aware, and owns up to her mistakes and course corrects as needed. Tara would do best in a home with clear expectations and rules. Tara does well with positive reinforcement for tasks completed. Tara's family should be experienced, and trauma informed. She would do well with a family who is patient and compassionate. The family will need to put Tara's needs ahead of their own and possess the ability to provide structure and routine. The adoptive family will need to engage in therapy sessions with her to address the traumas she has experienced in her life. In our effort to limit the digital footprint of our children and youth, Virginia has elected to only provide photos to inquiring families. (A digital footprint could be described as a trail left behind when someone uses the internet (e.g. websites visited, social media accounts, photos, etc.). The state wants to be cautious as to who can see and potentially have access to youth’s info.