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Daniel and Jeremy
Illinois

Basic Info

Daniel

Age: 44
Sex:
Race/Ethnicity:
Religion:

Jeremy

Age: 44
Sex:
Race/Ethnicity:
Religion:

Child Preferences

Age: Infant to 10 years old
Sex: Either
Max Number of Children: 2
Race/Ethnicity: Caucasian, African American, Asian, Native American, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Mixed, Bi-Racial, Unknown

Special Needs the Family is Open To: Mild Physical/Medical Disability, Animal Allergies, Asthma, Drug Allergies, Environmental Allergies, Food Allergies, Defiant, Difficulty in Attaching, Difficulty Making Friends, Encopresis, Lying, Manipulative, Poor Social Skills, Stealing, Wets the Bed, Drug Addicted at Birth, Failure to Thrive, Fetal Alcohol Effected, Low Birth Weight or Premature, Prenatal Drug Exposure, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Physically Disabled-Mild, Hearing Impaired, Intellectual Disability - Mild, Speech Delays - Mild, Speech Delays - Moderate, Speech Delays - Severe, Vision Impaired, Anorexia/Bulimia, Hoarding, Overeating, Academically behind due to poor attendance, Cognitive Delay - Mild, Expulsion(s), Has Behavior Problems in School, Mild Learning Disabilities, Moderate Learning Disabilities, Severe Learning Disabilities, Speech or Language Impairment, Suspension(s), One/Both Parents Diagnosed with Depression, One/Both Parents Diagnosed with Schizophrenia, One/Both Parents Have Alcohol Addiction, One/Both Parents Have Drug Addiction, One/Both Parents Diagnosed with Bipolar, Exposed to Domestic Violence, One/Both Parents Have Had a Mental Diagnosis, Child in Residential Treatment, Child has had a disrupted adoption, Multiple Placements, Residential Treatment History, ADHD, Arthritis, Cancer, Diabetes, Epilepsy, Heart Disorder: May Require Surgery, Missing Limbs: May Require Prosthesis, Seizures, Sickle Cell Traits, Adjustment Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Depression, Intermittent Explosive Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Previous Psychiatric Hospitalization, Reactive Attachment Disorder, Requires Medication For Psychiatric Condition/Mental Health Diagnosis, Requires Counseling/Therapy, Destructive of Property, Runaway - Past, Willing to Maintain Contact via Mail with Bio Family, Willing to Maintain Contact with Past Foster Parents, Willing to Maintain Contact with Bio Grandparents & Other Relatives, Willing to Maintain Contact with Bio Siblings, Child Identifies as LGBT, Sexually Abused in the Past

Environment

State: Illinois
Neighborhood: Suburban
Residency: Single Family Home
Years Together: 8
Children in the Home: 0
Pet(s): Dog(s)

Work

Daniel

Occupation: Teacher

Jeremy

Occupation: Technical Support Conslutant

Adoption Agency

Agency: our children's homestead
Worker: Ashley Wilkinson
Worker: awilkinson@ourchildrenshomestead.org
City: Naperville
State: Illinois
Zip: 60563

Family Description

Jeremy and I would like to adopt a child who is less than 10 years old. However, we are open to consider older children within a sibling group. We are open to either boys or girls. We feel we can accommodate a sibling group of up to 2 kids. Within our large home, each child would be able to have their own bedroom and plenty of space indoors and outdoors to play. Almost any ethnic background will blend in with our family. We are open to children with special needs. We do not mind having continued contact with the child\'s former foster parents, by email or by phone or by mail or in person . In general, we look forward to embracing our children's heritage and tradition, blending them with our own, and creating our unique family. Our names are Daniel Gonka and Jeremy Scheppa. I am currently 36 years old, and my husband is currently 35 years old. I work full-time for Barrington CUSD 220 as a Teacher and have a flexible work schedule. I'm excited that I will share the same days, breaks and vacations with our children and be with them during this time. My partner works full-time for iManage as a Technical Support Consultant and has a flexible work schedule. Jeremy is able to work from home up to three days a week. So between the two of us, it will be like our children have a stay-at-home parent. We do not yet have any children, but we can't wait to fill our home with love and laughter. I (Daniel) beyond teaching art, am a practicing artist and love to paint and exhibit my works professionally. During my free time I work in my studio, in the home basement, painting abstract botanicals. I work with a mixture of watercolor and acrylic paint on canvas of varying size. I have had much success in the professional art world, exhibiting my work in galleries and museums across the entire United States. Some of my work is also a permanent part of the Brooklyn Art Co-Op, a traveling art exhibition. My work has been published in many magazines and I am documented in the Chicago Artists Archive. Being a creative and artistic individual, I also use my skills to work on seasonal crafts that are often given as gifts to our family and friends. In addition, I am also an avid garden and spend much time planting and growing a myriad of flowers around our property. This is often where much of my inspiration for paintings develops from. I (Jeremy) enjoy working with my hands and using my creativity to invent and create things. One of my hobbies for example is making glass flower sculptures made out of kitchen glassware. I enjoy taking random glassware that I purchase at our local goodwill and salvation army and repurpose them into something fun and interesting to be enjoyed by others. Another hobby of mine is working on our vehicles, doing general maintenance such as changing oil and replacing worn brake pads. Working on cars is rewarding for me and brings fond memories of helping my dad when I was child. I want to show our children there are somethings you can do yourself and take pride in what you accomplish. As a couple Jeremy and I (Daniel) enjoy some more traditional and hobbies. One activity we enjoy is canning and pickling. Each year, over the course of several days, we prepare salsa, relishes, pickles, sauces and jams that we store for our own enjoyment, as well as for sharing with friends. We also enjoy yearly vacations in Ocean City, Maryland, where we stay on the boardwalk. We love spending time together, walking up and down the boardwalk, talking and laughing and taking an occasional swim. We live in the State of Illinois in a large single family home. Our home has three empty bedrooms just waiting to be filled. We live in a Suburban neighborhood with lots of land that is fully fenced in. our children will have plenty of room to run and play. The neighborhood that we live in is a quiet one, where people mostly keep to themselves. We are friends and most often socialize with our neighbors that live across the street. Our neighbor is a single mother who has a five year old daughter. Our neighbor's mother is very active in their lives and is often there as well providing help and support with raising her child. There are not many other younger children that we are aware of. The community that we live in attends the local Elementary School, Harrison, that is just a few mile away from our home. The school is smaller, and hosts kindergarten through eighth grade. We are excited to have our children attend this school as we see that the community is very involved with the school, hosting family movie nights, holiday parties and fundraiser. The local church, Nativity Lutheran Church, is also just a few block aways. Jeremy is a member of the church, and it hosts holiday craft fairs, community meals and community outreach programs. In addition to its weekend mass, It also has Summer religion classes for children and adults. The McHenry LIbrary is also an available resource in the community that we utilize. Beyond the obvious ability to check out books, music and movies, they offer weekend crafting classes and workshops for children, teens and adults. Another important resource is the LGBT Parent Group located in Round Lake, that offers socialization, networking and support for adoptive and birth families. We have four dogs; Orien, a nine year old Shepherd mix who weighs about 60lbs, Melvin, a ten year old Schnoodle who weighs about 25lbs, Nina, an eight year old Miniature Schnauzer who weighs about 20lbs, and Minnie, an ten year old Yorkie-Poo who weighs about 12lbs. None of the breeds are associated with animal fighting or aggression, and all the dogs are up-to-date on their vaccinations and rabies shots. The dogs are peaceful in nature and all get along with each other. Orien is attentive and loyal to his family and loves to be brushed and taken on walks. He loves his big fluffy bed, and sticking his face in the snow. Melvin loves food, and is an attention hog who seems to understand everything you say. All he wants is to snuggle and be petted. Nina is stoic in nature and the most relaxed, she is a motherly figure who always makes sure the other dogs are safe and taken care of. Minnie is the most active of the group, and little bossy. She often tries to steal the attention by rolling around on her back or pawing at her face. When meeting new individuals all the dogs are interested and excited, but once they know you, they couldn't care less and sleeping becomes their biggest priority I (Daniel) have always had a great interest and internal desire to care for children. I began working with toddler and pre-K children in my late teens through my early twenties as I pursued a degree in education. During this time I cared for children as young as two and as old as five, providing daily care in my role as day care teacher. These children were all from various ethnic and religious backgrounds, with various levels of need. I successfully continued this role until I graduated and became an elementary school teacher. From my early twenties through present day, I work with students from first through fifth grade. Beyond providing education to my students, I am also placed in the role of disciplinarian, help build social skills and on occasion become a long term friend after students leave the elementary level. I (Jeremy) had experience with children at an earlier age with my nephew Travis. When I was fourteen years old, I became an uncle. While my sister was living at home I would help babysit my nephew Travis who was only a few months old , While my sister went to work and evening college classes I would help my parents watch for my nephew. I would change him, help feed him and put him down for naps. I continue to help my sister whenever she needed a babysitter with Travis and later her daughters as well as my brothers kids. Within our current adult years, both Jeremy and I are often entrusted to watch close friends' children, along with our younger nieces, when there parents need the occasional babysitter. Jeremy and I have both completed state classes and training required for adoption, along with classes on trauma and loss. For during the school year, we have looked into several before and after school care options for our children when needed. These include the ability of our children to be enrolled in Jeremy's Mother's in-home licensed daycare, the before and after school program within Harrison Elementary School (the public school they will attend), or for younger children an Early Learning Program is available within the district that I teach at. With working as a teacher, I will also be on holiday and breaks during the same time period as our children and will be able to care for them with no impact to our careers and no additional outside care. Jeremy also takes vacation during these same time frames. In the case that our child becomes ill, Jeremy has the ability to select the days of the week he works home and can stay at home to care for them. I have the ability to take up thirteen paid sick days, that can be utilized for caring for sick children. As well, Jeremy's Mother, Sister and Brother all live within ten minutes of the family home, and are always willing to help out family. Daniel's parents are also just as supportive and can't wait to be grandparents and lend a hand as needed. Both coming close families, Jeremy and I have always had a strong desire to have a family of our own and create the strong family bonds we grew up with, with children of our own. We both want to have the ability to help teach and shape the life of a child in a positive and supportive manner. We want to have the opportunity to share, and pass on our traditions, values and morals. Though there is no 'perfect' time for bringing a child into any home, Jeremy and I feel that at this moment in time we are financially, physically, and emotionally stable in life and our relationship and are best now prepared to support and grow a family. This change in our family structure will obviously come with changes in our home. The biggest thing we know that will have to change are our routines to incorporate the varied needs of children, possibly multiple children of varied age. This might include finding time for transporting children to and from school, to afterschool activities or sports, and making time for school work and school functions

Preference Description

open

The Gonka-Scheppa Family Profile

Introduction

Our names are Daniel Gonka and Jeremy Scheppa. I am currently 36 years old, and my husband is currently 35 years old. I work full-time for Barrington CUSD 220 as a Teacher and have a flexible work schedule. I'm excited that I will share the same days, breaks and vacations with our children and be with them during this time. My partner works full-time for iManage as a Technical Support Consultant and has a flexible work schedule. Jeremy is able to work from home up to three days a week. So between the two of us, it will be like our children have a stay-at-home parent. We do not yet have any children, but we can't wait to fill our home with love and laughter. I (Daniel) beyond teaching art, am a practicing artist and love to paint and exhibit my works professionally. During my free time I work in my studio, in the home basement, painting abstract botanicals. I work with a mixture of watercolor and acrylic paint on canvas of varying size. I have had much success in the professional art world, exhibiting my work in galleries and museums across the entire United States. Some of my work is also a permanent part of the Brooklyn Art Co-Op, a traveling art exhibition. My work has been published in many magazines and I am documented in the Chicago Artists Archive. Being a creative and artistic individual, I also use my skills to work on seasonal crafts that are often given as gifts to our family and friends. In addition, I am also an avid garden and spend much time planting and growing a myriad of flowers around our property. This is often where much of my inspiration for paintings develops from. I (Jeremy) enjoy working with my hands and using my creativity to invent and create things. One of my hobbies for example is making glass flower sculptures made out of kitchen glassware. I enjoy taking random glassware that I purchase at our local goodwill and salvation army and repurpose them into something fun and interesting to be enjoyed by others. Another hobby of mine is working on our vehicles, doing general maintenance such as changing oil and replacing worn brake pads. Working on cars is rewarding for me and brings fond memories of helping my dad when I was child. I want to show our children there are somethings you can do yourself and take pride in what you accomplish. As a couple Jeremy and I (Daniel) enjoy some more traditional and hobbies. One activity we enjoy is canning and pickling. Each year, over the course of several days, we prepare salsa, relishes, pickles, sauces and jams that we store for our own enjoyment, as well as for sharing with friends. We also enjoy yearly vacations in Ocean City, Maryland, where we stay on the boardwalk. We love spending time together, walking up and down the boardwalk, talking and laughing and taking an occasional swim.

Home and Community

We live in the State of Illinois in a large single family home. Our home has three empty bedrooms just waiting to be filled. We live in a Suburban neighborhood with lots of land that is fully fenced in. our children will have plenty of room to run and play. The neighborhood that we live in is a quiet one, where people mostly keep to themselves. We are friends and most often socialize with our neighbors that live across the street. Our neighbor is a single mother who has a five year old daughter. Our neighbor's mother is very active in their lives and is often there as well providing help and support with raising her child. There are not many other younger children that we are aware of. The community that we live in attends the local Elementary School, Harrison, that is just a few mile away from our home. The school is smaller, and hosts kindergarten through eighth grade. We are excited to have our children attend this school as we see that the community is very involved with the school, hosting family movie nights, holiday parties and fundraiser. The local church, Nativity Lutheran Church, is also just a few block aways. Jeremy is a member of the church, and it hosts holiday craft fairs, community meals and community outreach programs. In addition to its weekend mass, It also has Summer religion classes for children and adults. The McHenry LIbrary is also an available resource in the community that we utilize. Beyond the obvious ability to check out books, music and movies, they offer weekend crafting classes and workshops for children, teens and adults. Another important resource is the LGBT Parent Group located in Round Lake, that offers socialization, networking and support for adoptive and birth families. We have four dogs; Orien, a nine year old Shepherd mix who weighs about 60lbs, Melvin, a ten year old Schnoodle who weighs about 25lbs, Nina, an eight year old Miniature Schnauzer who weighs about 20lbs, and Minnie, an ten year old Yorkie-Poo who weighs about 12lbs. None of the breeds are associated with animal fighting or aggression, and all the dogs are up-to-date on their vaccinations and rabies shots. The dogs are peaceful in nature and all get along with each other. Orien is attentive and loyal to his family and loves to be brushed and taken on walks. He loves his big fluffy bed, and sticking his face in the snow. Melvin loves food, and is an attention hog who seems to understand everything you say. All he wants is to snuggle and be petted. Nina is stoic in nature and the most relaxed, she is a motherly figure who always makes sure the other dogs are safe and taken care of. Minnie is the most active of the group, and little bossy. She often tries to steal the attention by rolling around on her back or pawing at her face. When meeting new individuals all the dogs are interested and excited, but once they know you, they couldn't care less and sleeping becomes their biggest priority

Parenting Experience

I (Daniel) have always had a great interest and internal desire to care for children. I began working with toddler and pre-K children in my late teens through my early twenties as I pursued a degree in education. During this time I cared for children as young as two and as old as five, providing daily care in my role as day care teacher. These children were all from various ethnic and religious backgrounds, with various levels of need. I successfully continued this role until I graduated and became an elementary school teacher. From my early twenties through present day, I work with students from first through fifth grade. Beyond providing education to my students, I am also placed in the role of disciplinarian, help build social skills and on occasion become a long term friend after students leave the elementary level. I (Jeremy) had experience with children at an earlier age with my nephew Travis. When I was fourteen years old, I became an uncle. While my sister was living at home I would help babysit my nephew Travis who was only a few months old , While my sister went to work and evening college classes I would help my parents watch for my nephew. I would change him, help feed him and put him down for naps. I continue to help my sister whenever she needed a babysitter with Travis and later her daughters as well as my brothers kids. Within our current adult years, both Jeremy and I are often entrusted to watch close friends' children, along with our younger nieces, when there parents need the occasional babysitter. Jeremy and I have both completed state classes and training required for adoption, along with classes on trauma and loss.

Support

For during the school year, we have looked into several before and after school care options for our children when needed. These include the ability of our children to be enrolled in Jeremy's Mother's in-home licensed daycare, the before and after school program within Harrison Elementary School (the public school they will attend), or for younger children an Early Learning Program is available within the district that I teach at. With working as a teacher, I will also be on holiday and breaks during the same time period as our children and will be able to care for them with no impact to our careers and no additional outside care. Jeremy also takes vacation during these same time frames. In the case that our child becomes ill, Jeremy has the ability to select the days of the week he works home and can stay at home to care for them. I have the ability to take up thirteen paid sick days, that can be utilized for caring for sick children. As well, Jeremy's Mother, Sister and Brother all live within ten minutes of the family home, and are always willing to help out family. Daniel's parents are also just as supportive and can't wait to be grandparents and lend a hand as needed.

Motivation to Adopt

Both coming close families, Jeremy and I have always had a strong desire to have a family of our own and create the strong family bonds we grew up with, with children of our own. We both want to have the ability to help teach and shape the life of a child in a positive and supportive manner. We want to have the opportunity to share, and pass on our traditions, values and morals. Though there is no 'perfect' time for bringing a child into any home, Jeremy and I feel that at this moment in time we are financially, physically, and emotionally stable in life and our relationship and are best now prepared to support and grow a family. This change in our family structure will obviously come with changes in our home. The biggest thing we know that will have to change are our routines to incorporate the varied needs of children, possibly multiple children of varied age. This might include finding time for transporting children to and from school, to afterschool activities or sports, and making time for school work and school functions