WEDNESDAY'S CHILD
Teen Hopes For Adoptive Family, Despite Nearing His 18th Birthday
Sep 26, 2018, 8:15 PM | Updated: 9:10 pm
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – No one really enjoys waiting. In fact, most of it dread it. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of children waiting in the Utah foster care system. They’re trying to be patient for the day a family will come find them.
When you’re 17-years-old, life is kind of a like a game.
“I really wanted to do something with NERF,” said Cameron as he walked into “Galactic Tag” in Herriman.
“I just don’t think I’m ready to be on my own.”
Cameron is still a kid in a lot of ways.
“I have a whole arsenal of NERF guns at home,” he said.
An afternoon spent playing around, shooting NERF guns is pretty expected of a teenager, and for Cameron, it’s some well-deserved fun.
“It was kind of stressful at first and then I got used to bouncing around a lot,” he said of life in foster care. “I’ve just really gotten used to going home to home.”
Cameron’s childhood got cut short. For the past 11 years, he’s been moving from one place to another.
“I honestly don’t know how many times I’ve moved,” he said with a shrug. “Foster kids are like any other normal kid and there should be hope for them to be adopted eventually.”
He is one of the kids living in state custody who is hoping for adoption. On Friday, Cameron will turn 18-years-old. Legally, that means he will be an adult but he doesn’t feel like one.
“I just don’t think I’m ready to be on my own,” he said.
When you feel like you’re still a kid and not quite grown up, it can be a tricky place to be. He just hopes soon he will be in a family soon.
“I think that foster kids should have hope that there’s a family out there that’s going to adopted them,” he said.
To learn more about Cameron, contact the Utah Adoption Exchange at 801-265-0444.
