About MARE

About MARE

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The Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange: Helping to Bring Children and Families Together

"Let us put our minds together and see what kind of future we can make for our children." -- Chief Sitting Bull

The Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) is a statewide information and referral service for families interested in adopting children from foster care, and for adoption workers looking for homes for these children. The MARE website provides a listing of waiting children in Michigan and of Michigan families interested in adopting children with special needs. To view waiting children, please visit the photolisting page.

MARE is not a placement service -- we do not provide care for waiting children and do not complete family homestudies or foster care licenses. Instead, MARE refers prospective parents to agencies and answers questions they might have about adoption and children with "special needs." MARE also provides technical assistance to adoption workers and agencies.

We encourage families who are interested in foster care adoption to be willing to consider at least two of the following characteristics:

  • Children over the age of 5; Caucasian children over the age of 9
  • Children who are part of a sibling group and must be placed in the same home
  • Children of a minority background
  • Children who have physical, emotional, developmental and/or learning needs

Families new to the MARE website should become registered users of the website in order to complete inquiries on children. Please view our handy Family User Guide to answer questions as you register, and if you need additional assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us.