She just performed in her first chorus concert and loved every second of it. She recently boarded a plane for the first time ever, flying all the way to California. Now this sweet, funny 15-year-old with a big personality is hoping someone in Massachusetts will give her a permanent place to call home.
Malayaja, who goes by Trinity, is featured this week in Sunday's Child, a weekly column spotlighting children and teens in foster care who are waiting to be adopted, according to The Boston Globe. The Globe describes her as someone who loves to entertain others and make them laugh with her expressive facial expressions, a trait that comes through in just about everything she does.
Trinity is especially drawn to music and movement. She enjoys singing and dancing, particularly to K-pop, hip-hop, and R&B, and she likes creating her own TikTok videos and learning new dance routines, the Globe reports. That passion for performing recently had a real-world showcase: Trinity took part in a chorus concert, where she did very well and loved the experience, according to the same report.
A First Flight and a Love of Travel
Beyond music, Trinity has a taste for adventure. She enjoys traveling, and she recently took her first-ever flight, heading out to California, per the Globe's account. It's the kind of milestone that, for most teens, might be ordinary — but for a teenager still waiting for a permanent family, it's one more experience she's eager to build on.
Separately, CBS Boston's Wednesday's Child series has also featured Malayaja, though that report refers to her as Jack rather than Trinity. CBS Boston describes her as loving to sing, dance, and entertain, and says she is looking forward to finding a family where she can continue sharing her love of music, dance, and laughter. Wednesday's Child is a long-running collaboration between the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange, the Department of Children & Families, and WBZ-TV, and the station notes the series has helped find homes for hundreds of waiting children.
What It Takes to Adopt From Foster Care in Massachusetts
For families wondering whether they might be a fit, the basics are straightforward. Adoption from foster care is completely free in Massachusetts, with no fees for adoptive parents, the Globe reports. Prospective adoptive parents must be at least 18 years old and have a stable source of income, and the pool of eligible families is broad — single, married, or partnered adults; people with or without prior parenting experience; renters or homeowners; and LGBTQ+ singles or couples can all apply, according to the same account.
The process itself involves training, interviews, and home visits designed to help determine whether adoption is the right fit for a prospective family, and ultimately to match families with a child or sibling group suited to them. The Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange can offer guidance throughout, the Globe notes.
Outside groups add more texture to that timeline. According to the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange, it typically takes families between eight months and a year to complete the full licensing process, which includes an application, background checks, an initial home visit, MAPP classes, and a home study. MAPP training is mandatory for the adults who will be primary caregivers, and the home study alone — which involves multiple home visits and interviews — typically takes eight to 12 weeks. How long it then takes to be matched with a specific child varies widely depending on a family's criteria and the needs of children currently waiting, per the organization.
Thousands of Children Still Waiting Statewide
Trinity's situation reflects a much larger need across Massachusetts. More than 2,400 children in the state's care do not have an identified match and are waiting for a permanent adoptive family, according to AdoptUSKids. The organization reports that Massachusetts has 8,143 children in care overall, including 3,177 whose case goal is adoption.
For now, Trinity remains a teenager who lights up a room — one who loves K-pop playlists, TikTok choreography, and the thrill of a first plane ride — still looking for the family that will make all of it feel like home.
