RICHMOND, Va. -- November is National Adoption Month and CBS 6 has again partnered with JFS Connecting Hearts and Virginia Kids Belong to help find every child in the Virginia foster system a loving family.
Meet 15-year-old Toni.
Toni is bubbly and smart and loves to sing and dance. She is verbal but has autism and her communication skills are limited.
"[She] can be independent, play on her own, but she loves attention," a caregiver said. "To keep her focused, give her lots of love and attention. She enjoys affection and hugs but at the same time, needs an adult or caregiver who really understands her boundaries."
Her favorite foods are mac & cheese and hamburgers.
"She loves music," a caregiver said. "You will catch her singing, random songs, songs you that wouldn't think she knows. Old school music. She's a very smart girl."
Toni's advocates say she demonstrates her knowledge in class by quickly answering questions her teachers weren't sure she even heard.
They also say she needs special parents to step up.
"Two patient people potentially that understand that she needs kind of a dynamic duo to manage her."
Toni's forever family should be trauma-informed and learn to recognize her habits.
"They should gain the knowledge on when to wait and when to prompt. Every time Toni asks a question you want to immediately respond. And you want to make sure that she knows that you are still there."
"I Belong Project" videos are a project of Virginia's Kids Belong in cooperation with America's Kids Belong.
EXPLORE MORE: Watch more A Hand to Hold video profiles on WTVR.com.
