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SALT LAKE CITY — For the hundreds of children chronically in the Utah Foster Care system, waiting is a part of their everyday life.
Alisia has been waiting for a family to adopt her for eight years. In that time, she's developed a great love for animals. You don't often find many 16-year-old girls on a farm, but that's where Alisia wanted to go. As she walked around Wheeler Historic Farm in Salt Lake City, she smiled ear to ear.
"I want to raise a pig farm," she said. "My personality is bubbly and happy."
She's also optimistic despite the many challenges she's faced in her life.
"It's kind of hard sometimes," she said as her smile faded for a moment. "Sometimes I dwell on myself, but that's just a normal teenager thing."
But what's not a normal teenager thing is the number of times Alisia's had to move. When asked how she feels when she hears it's time to move again, she responded with just one word: "upset." She craves stability and dreams of being with two parents who love her no matter what.
"Even if one day they get sad, I would want to encourage them to be happy and not give up, and not give up on me," she said.
Alisia fears she's running out of time to be adopted, but no matter her age, she says she'll always want and need a family.
"It would mean a lot," she said.
Until then, she plans to keep smiling and keep hoping for her family.
