Wednesday’s Child: CJ & Arielle

WEST JORDAN, Utah – There are currently thousands of children living in the Utah Foster Care system and many of them are not alone.

Two children, C.J. and Arielle, are siblings who are determined to get adopted together.

Fall was in the air at Gardner’s Village as the sights of summer began slipping away Wednesday.

“I like her braids,” C.J. said as he stroked the mane of the small pony he was about to ride.

Wednesday was a day the brother and sister had been waiting for.

“What do you do to make the horse stop?” Arielle asked as she climbed on a horse for the first time in her life.

Two kids riding horses may not seem like a big deal to some, but days like this one don’t happen often for the siblings, who live in foster care.

“I’ve always wanted to ride a horse,” Arielle said with a smile as she trotted along.

“It’s been a few years now with a few placements,” said Kate Anderson with The Adoption Exchange.

Some placements seemed promising at first.

“A lot of people are interested for a while and then sometimes that honeymoon period wears off then they become real kids with real needs,” Anderson said. “We need to find a family who can stick through that.”

The brother and sister are determined to stay together for however long it takes.

“(We need) someone who can focus on them being healthy siblings,” Anderson said.

Right now, that’s all they have and Anderson said the past few months have been pretty tough.

“Recently, they had a placement and it just wasn’t the right fit unfortunately for all of them,” she said.

However, life continues for the siblings. There is still time for the 11 and 10-year-old to find a permanent and loving home.

“They’re not just two foster kids,” Anderson said.

They’re ready to be welcomed home for good.

To learn more about C.J. and Arielle, contact The Utah Adoption Exchange at 801-265-0444 or at www.adoptex.org