Wednesday’s Child: Dalton dreams of being adopted after 13 years in foster care

When a child enters foster care, there is always the hope that it’s temporary, but for some, the weeks turn into months and months turn into years. In this week’s Wednesday’s Child, we reintroduce you to 18-year-old Dalton, who was also featured in 2016. Dalton has lived in foster care since he was 5 years old.

“I’ve been through way too much, heartache, abandonment,” Dalton said.

As a young child, Dalton dreamed of becoming a paleontologist — it’s a passion he’s still excited about today.

“Ever since I was three or four, I’ve loved dinosaurs,” Dalton said.

Dalton graduated from high school this past year and is now working towards taking classes at Salt Lake Community College that will help him towards his goal of becoming a paleontologist. But before he starts school, he is hoping to find a connection with a potential adoptive family.

“Even though I’m 18 and it will be an adult adoption – I don’t mind it being an adult adoption as long as it’s somebody who can take care of me,” Dalton said.

Dalton’s time living in foster care has shaped his view of what family means.

“Family isn’t always in the blood; you can have whomever you want to be your family,” Dalton said. “Family represents a kinship, somebody who is going to be there for you even in your darkest times.”

Dalton is aware that he is approaching a difficult age for a child living in foster care — an age when many start thinking about living life on their own, without a permanent family connection. It’s something he feels he’s not ready for yet.

“I’m definitely not excited about the possibilities. I missed out on so much of my childhood,” Dalton said.

Dalton would like to put his past behind him and start fresh with a new family. He’d like parents who will help guide him into adulthood.

“I would like a family who can bring me into their own and accept me as their own,” he said.

Dalton would like a perspective family to know that he is kind, energetic, and loves history. He also loves reading and the outdoors; he would like to try hunting.

Looking into the future, Dalton says he wants to be a person who helps others and hopes to one day have a family of his own.

“I want to bring a family into the world, bring my own family, and be able to take care of those kids the way I should have been taken care of,” Dalton said. “I want to be able to protect somebody I care about and love — that is something I would love to have in my life.”

For more information on the Labyrinth in South Jordan, which is where Dalton visited for this week’s Wednesday’s Child, you can check out their website.

To learn more about Dalton, please contact Raise the Future at 801-265-0444 or visit their website.