“Nobody wants to be alone on Christmas:” Finding a forever home for Dakota

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The holiday season is a difficult time for the thousands of foster children in Michigan with no family to call their own.
Fifteen-year-old Dakota’s simple Christmas wish is not to be alone. She hopes someone will take a chance on her so next year things will be different from they are this year.
“With people that care about you and that will accept you no matter what,” she said.
Dakota says she wants to do “girly stuff” with a mom and dreams of a doting dad.
“I like to play softball and it would be a really good thing if I had a father to support me,” she said. “I`ve always felt like dads spoil the daughters a little too much.”
Dakota says this holiday season will be difficult alone without a foster or adoptive family.
“It’s kind of not fun because there are a lot of traditions that families do and in the foster system there isn’t any strict tradition, we eat food and go to bed,” she said.
Dakota says she finds herself day-dreaming about what it would be like to have a family, like the ones she sees on Christmas cards. Goofing around and enjoying each other’s company, like most families on the holidays do.
“Just the fact that I can be with them on Christmas, that I can sit down and eat dinner with them and if we get like board games for Christmas we play the board games and stuff like that,” she said. “The bonding time that happens during Christmas.”
And as for the presents, Dakota says she’d gladly give them up.
“Your presents may break, they may go bad, or you might get a stomach ache with them, but family’s going to be there for you no matter what,” she said.
Just for a chance not to be alone on Christmas morning.
“Nobody wants to be alone on Christmas,” Dakota said. “It`s like the Grinch.”
Her only Christmas wish is company and companionship, saying she’ll fit in easily with anyone willing to love.
“I don’t mind if it’s just a single parent or if it’s a family with 15 kids, I’m pretty much open to going anywhere and I’m really good at fitting into places,” she said.
FOX 17 has teamed up with Lutheran Adoption Services to help provide presents for foster children in Michigan who might otherwise not get any.
If you’re interested in adopting Dakota – or any other youth from the Michigan Foster System – call Orchards Children’s Services at 855-694-7301.
Adopting any child through the Michigan Foster System comes at absolutely no cost.