Brothers Joseph, Josh love fishing

Joseph and Joshua are brothers who are somewhat shy at first meeting, but they can be engaged easily in conversation.

Joseph, 13, enjoys fishing, ice fishing, walking in the woods and being outdoors. He also likes to play video games.

His favorite subject in school is math, and his least favorite is social studies. He thinks he would like to be a jeweler when he grows up. Joseph has a hearing impairment and requires hearing aids in both ears. He can read lips, and he knows some sign language.

Joseph talks excitedly about a trip to Disney World that he enjoyed with his brother and foster family. His favorite activity there was riding roller coasters.

Joshua, 11, can be very helpful. He likes to fish, swim and play outdoors. He likes ice fishing, snowboarding, sliding, playing baseball and football, and swimming. Like his brother, Joshua’s favorite subject is math and his least favorite is social studies. He thinks he would like to be a carpenter when he grows up.

Joseph and Joshua have worked successfully in family therapy. This therapy has focused on building relationship skills and learning conflict resolution skills in order to enhance their sibling bond.

Joseph and Joshua are coping with deep sadness and anger about the loss of their birth family and eventual separation from their foster family.

Those who work with Joseph provide him with opportunities to process these feelings appropriately. Joshua is working with a therapist to develop strategies to handle his negative feelings. He benefits from having opportunities to learn age-appropriate skills to manage conflicts with peers.

Joseph and Joshua are actively working on expressing their worries and fears about the adoption process as they identify their needs and wishes for an adoptive family.

Families who have experience understanding feelings of grief and loss, who are flexible in their approach to setting limits, and who are open to receiving outside supports to assist them with understanding Joseph and Joshua’s emotional needs will be considered as adoptive parents.

Joseph and Joshua are two of the 157 children in Maine Department of Health and Human Services care who are seeking an adoptive family.

Based in Gardiner, A Family for ME is a nonprofit program that works in collaboration with Maine DHHS to find foster and adoptive families for Maine children in care.

For information about Joseph and Joshua or other children available for adoption, please contact A Family for ME toll free at (877) 505-0545, or visit www.AFamilyForMe.org and see the Heart Gallery of photographs of some of the children awaiting a “forever family.”