Texas boy praying to be adopted: 'I know there's a family out there that fits me the best'
A 12-year-old boy who's been in the foster care system in Texas for many years says he still has faith that God will provide a family for him.
Jonah, whose last name was not given, was featured on WFAA's long-running segment called "Wednesday's Child."
"I have a desire to have knowledge and wisdom. The golden rule is to treat somebody the way you want to be treated, and that's what I do or at least what I try to do the most," he said in the sit-down interview with ABC's Dallas affiliate.
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Jonah believes God has carried him through the numerous hardships he's endured in his young life.
"He's brought me through many, many things. As far as abuse before I came into CPS. He's brought me through a lot. Just a lot overall," he said.
"Waking me up this morning, you know what I mean? Starting me on my way. I'm in my right mind. I know who I am and I'm proud of being the person who I am," Jonah continued.
Having been in the foster care system for four years now, Jonah is trusting in the Lord to provide a family that will adopt him.
"[The] reason why I want to be adopted is because I know there's a family out there that fits me in the best possible way that they can."
Jonah is an honor-roll student and said he received an award last year for being a multitasker.
WFAA's Wednesday's Child segment gives viewers a look at the lives of children who desire to be adopted and are presently in the care of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Families that want to adopt children are encouraged to have an understanding of or be willing to learn about the dynamics of abuse and neglect.
"The parental rights of these children have been terminated; therefore, we are seeking an adoptive family for them. The children we feature are all ages, races, and ethnicities. The biggest population of children in foster care are sibling groups and school-age children," WFAA explains on its website.
According to ABC's El Paso affiliate KVIA, CPS data released last week revealed that more than 20,000 children in Texas exited the foster care system. Among those, over 6,000 were adopted and more than half were adopted by their relatives.
To learn more about how to become licensed to foster or adopt, visit adoptchildren.org or call 817-304-1272.
