It took a long time for Buddy to find his way home. Removed from his biological family at age 8 because of abuse, Buddy spent the next seven years in foster care, the last five waiting for adoption.

Buddy's story appeared in newspaper advertisements, in fliers and handouts, in adoption books and Youth Villages' newsletters. Counselors took him to adoption fairs and told countless potential adoptive parents about him. He was one of the first children profiled on our Web page when Youth Villages went online in 2000.

While he waited, Buddy was in a Youth Villages foster home. After a while, he really didn't want to leave, to even talk about adoption. Many foster children are fearful of making any move, even one that might be good for them. They are afraid that the next place might not be as good as where they are now. Still, his adoption counselor, Tracy Borum, knew what having a permanent, real family could mean for Buddy. "I knew that there was a family for Buddy," she says. "We were not going to give up -- or let him give up."

Finding the right adoptive homes for older children, for children who must overcome emotional and behavioral problems, isn't easy. If the fit isn't good, if the commitment isn't there, the adoption will not work out, causing even more pain for an already hurting child.
Things began to change for Buddy when Brenda Filkel, a former Youth Villages foster parent, called in one day to get copies of some old records. In a chat with a counselor, she learned about our adoption program. She decided to go to www.youthvillages.org and take a few minutes to look at the children available for adoption. There was Buddy.

"I was just so attracted to him immediately," Mrs. Filkel says. "My husband is part Native American with a Cherokee heritage, and Buddy looks just like one of his grandchildren." Buddy is of Native Alaskan descent, a member of the Tlinglit-Haida tribe. She filled out an online adoption application.

From the minute they met Buddy in person, the Filkels were sure they wanted to adopt him. "He was like a little boy locked within himself," Mrs. Filkel says. "He needed someone to give him approval, goals, guidance and opportunities."

In other words, he needed a family. Almost a year later, he has one. Buddy's adoption is final, and he barely resembles the boy he was. As with so many of our children, Buddy's problems seemed to melt away when he found the stability, structure and unconditional love that come with a real family.

"He's doing well in school here. He's making friends and even had his first girlfriend," Mrs. Filkel confides. "It's been so wonderful to see him grow and gain confidence. He's a wonderful son."