SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - An eight-year-old girl, who's currently in the foster care system, is hoping her future forever family is reading this story.
Jhada loves to swim, play outdoors, create art projects, and she wants nothing more than to be able to enjoy those activities with a family of her own.
Eight-year-old Jhada is a delightful little girl who was a bit shy at first, but as we got talking her imagination began to soar. When I asked her if she could have three wishes what would they be, she said:
“Having wings, being able to fly and being a dinosaur.”
“She can be a little slow to warm up when she first meets people, but after she gets comfortable with you she just blossoms into this amazingly energetic, happy, happy child,” said protective services worker, Crystal Irving.
And that's exactly what happened at a recent photo shoot for the 2017 Join the Team Calendar, featuring Chargers players and children waiting to find a forever home.
“At the Chargers shoot, when she first got there, she was a little quiet, a little reserved, and pulled back a little bit,” continued Irving. “But the players were amazing with her and all of a sudden she was a bundle of energy and everyone fell in love with her at the photo shoot.”
It didn't take long for Jhada to open up at our playdate either, feeling right at home with the mic, acting like a reporter.
Jhada is happy and well-adjusted, in part, because of the stability and love from her foster family.
“Jhada is in an amazing foster home right now. She gets along so well with the foster parents and they absolutely adore her,” said Irving. “Unfortunately they are only foster parents so they're not in a position to adopt or provide her with that permanency. So she's looking for a forever family who's going to love her and care for her permanently.”
And Jhada would be a true gift to that family.
“She is absolutely ready to be in a home. She constantly talks about wanting to be in her forever home,” Irving explained. “When we were riding over she said, ‘is this going to help me get my forever home?’ And I said ‘that's what we're hoping for Jhada, that's exactly what we're hoping for.’”
If you are interested in adopting or becoming a foster family, please call 1-877-I-ADOPT-U.