Meet the Ward Family!

"Adoption means having a close bond among family members who depend on each other and support each other"

When their son Viktor reached age 10, Bobbe and Olga Ward decided to add a second child to their family. They turned to adoption because they knew there were children in need. Their loving attitude led them to the door of The Boys and Girls Aid Society of Oregon, a private “partner” agency actively involved in recruiting adoptive families for youth in foster care. And that agency eventually led them to Alissa, who became their daughter at age 8.

Now an extroverted 12-year-old, Alissa loves to spend her time involved in nature, animals, and music. She enjoys having parents who recognize and encourage her interests. For the past two years, Alissa has been taking private drumming lessons. She has also gained competency as a swimmer due to a series of swim classes in which she accelerated rapidly. Her accomplishments have helped her gain increased self- esteem and self-confidence. Alissa gets along well with older brother Viktor, now age 14. Asked to define their family’s greatest strengths, Olga writes, “Resilience and willingness to learn from our mistakes.”