AUSTIN, Texas — With a beautiful name and a friendly smile to match, Luvlee is a 13-year-old girl you won't be able to forget.
She's currently in the Texas foster care system waiting to be adopted by a loving family. But what she's been able to accomplish in the process reflects her discipline and the bright future ahead of her.
Local Austin baker Rachel Metts owns Sweet Charli Girl Bakery, a company she named after her beloved black lab, Charli. You can find her baked goods every Sunday at the Mueller farmer's market.
Metts was kind enough to welcome KVUE's Hannah Rucker and Luvlee into her home kitchen to decorate cookies together. While they decorated, Rucker got to know Luvlee, who said she loves reading books in her spare time.
"It's like going into another world. I like books so much better than movies because there's more details in a book," Luvlee said.
She also loves singing in the choir at school.
"With choir, it's like, you meet so many people who like doing the same things as you, who can be there for you. And in 50 years, you could still have them as friends," Luvlee said.
PHOTOS | Forever Families: Meet Luvlee
As for her future career, Luvlee sees herself becoming an attorney. She likes standing up for people, even when those people aren't in the room.
"Especially criminal defense because so many people get charged with crimes they didn't do. I want to be like, 'You're innocent, I want to prove your innocence,'" Luvlee said.
While she's waiting to find support through a forever family, Luvlee said she's been working on mastering self-love first.
"I have to have me before I can let someone else have me," Luvlee said.
To learn more about Luvlee or to put in an inquiry to adopt her, visit her page on the Heart Gallery of Central Texas.
KVUE launched the Forever Families segment with Partnerships for Children (PFC) in June 2020 to highlight children in the Heart Gallery of Central Texas who need secure and permanent families. Every day, there are nearly 1,000 children waiting to get adopted in Central Texas, according to PFC.
Editor's note: The children who are in the Heart Gallery program and featured in KVUE's Forever Families segments are children who have had every effort made on their behalf to connect them with family or others in their community to provide options for permanent, adoptive homes. Through no fault of their own, that hasn’t happened yet, and so in partnership with the Department of Family and Protective Services, we collaborate to bring awareness to KVUE viewers about these children in the hopes of finding them permanency before they age out.
MORE FOREVER FAMILIES CHILDREN:
- 'I don't mind where I go' | 11-year-old Keegan has been in the foster care system for a year
- Forever Families: Meet Asher, a kindhearted 17-year-old looking for an adoptive family
- 17-year-old Laci hopes to get adopted before she ages out of the Texas foster care system
- Meet Micah, a sweet teen with special needs looking for a loving family