10-Year-Old Boy in Foster Care Is Looking for His ‘Forever Family’: ‘Teach Me to Grow Up’ (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Paul.Photo:Courtesy Texas Department of Family and Protective Services

Courtesy Texas Department of Family and Protective Services

A Texas boy has big dreams for his future, and he’s looking for his forever family to help him.

“I want them to help me and teach me to grow up,” Paul, 10, of Houston, tells PEOPLE.

He is not alone. November is National Adoption Month.The Texas Court Appointed Special Advocatessaid last year that over 117,000 children had been waiting to be adopted across the country, and about 6,000 of them were in Texas.

Paul ended up in the care of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services after his parents' parental rights were terminated, per the agency. But the boy — who enjoys pizza, playing video games and riding his skateboard — is a “really great kid who needs love and support,” saysDFPSconservatorship supervisor Regina Taylor-Evans.

Paul is hoping to find that support in a big family.

“It would be fun to have brothers and sisters I could play with," he says.

“If I have big brothers they can play with me and teach me to play games and soccer," he adds.

A soccer fan, Paul hopes a family could help him pursue his ambition of becoming a soccer player.

“I wish my family could let me play with other soccer teams — teach me to play better,” he says.

Jessalyn Miller-Allen, also a conservatorship supervisor at DFPS, notes that “it means a lot for children to find their adoptive homes.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

And Miller-Allen wants to dispel a misconception about adopting “older children” like Paul.

“One of the misconceptions is that it is difficult for older children to connect with a family outside of their birth family,” she says. “That’s not true. Older children want to be heard and understood like anyone else.”

Reflecting on the importance of family, Paul shares why he thinks parental figures are needed in children’s lives.

“Kids need someone to help them and to take care of them because we cannot do it ourselves,” he says. “Grownups that want to be a forever family can help kids and teach them how to act good, help them with school and be there for them.”

DFPS says people interested in adoption are urged to contact Child Protective Services or a private agency for more information. Training and services are provided, while financial assistance may also be available.

source: people.com