Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange
(800)589-6273

Inquiry Process

Understanding MARE’s Inquiry Process

 

You can submit inquiries online to discover if your family may be a match for one or more youth featured on our website. Below, you’ll find an overview of how the inquiry process works and what to expect.

We’re a worker-to-worker state

One of the first things to understand about inquiries is that Michigan is a worker-to-worker state. This designation means adoption communication occurs between workers. So, your adoption worker will be the contact person with the child's worker. In some cases, one person serves in both worker roles. When you submit an inquiry on MARE, both the child’s worker and your worker will receive notice. Your worker will then receive updates on your inquiry as they become available. This approach safeguards each child’s privacy and ensures that adoption workers manage the process effectively.

 

MARE's Role with Inquiries

MARE is not part of the family selection process. We provide the online inquiry system that allows you to submit your inquiry and for workers to share information about it. Your adoption worker will follow up with you on your inquiry. 

 

Our Adoption Navigators can assist if you need help submitting an inquiry on our website. They can also assist with following up if you haven't gotten a response from your worker after 30 days.

Steps in the process

  1. Get Started: You’ll need to register for an account and log in to our site.
  2. Submit an Inquiry: Click the inquire button on a child’s profile and complete the form. (Be sure to select your adoption worker's name from the drop-down menu.)
  3. Automatic Notification: The child’s adoption worker and your adoption worker receive notices through the MARE website.
  4. Adoption Worker Review: The child’s worker reviews your homestudy and evaluates it alongside others to determine the best fit for the child’s needs.
  5. Consideration: If you may be a match, the child’s worker will contact your worker to discuss the child's specific needs (e.g., behaviors, diagnoses, functioning levels) and your approved demographics for youth. If you're not a match, your worker receives notice via the MARE website.
  6. Follow-Up: If it has been over 30 days without an update, it’s okay to check in with your adoption worker to ask whether they have received a response. An Adoption Navigator can also assist.

 

Patience is key. Children may receive several inquiries, workers carry multiple cases, and assessing and deciding upon the best fit for a child takes time. Building a strong relationship with your adoption worker is the best way to be sure they’ll be able to represent you well in this process.

If you don’t have a homestudy or worker yet

You can still submit an inquiry, but you can’t move forward in the process until you have a worker and are approved for adoption. Here’s what to expect if you inquire:

  • An Adoption Navigator will contact you to explain the next steps.
  • You’ll be encouraged to connect with an adoption agency and begin your homestudy.
  • Once you have a worker and homestudy, your inquiries can be fully considered when submitted.

 

Looking for an agency?

If you need an adoption agency, visit our Agency Locator to find one near you. If there isn’t one close by, don’t worry. Many agencies serve multiple counties, which will be listed in each agency’s description.

Choosing an agency is an important step. It’s okay to talk with several to find one that feels like the right fit for your needs and adoption goals.

Find an Agency

 

Timelines under MDHHS policy

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) policy sets response timelines for workers:

  • Within 21 days: The child’s worker reviews inquiries, identifies the family that best matches the child’s needs, sends information to that family’s agency, and notifies non-selected families’ agencies.
  • Within 30 days: Child and family workers submit Inquiry Follow-Up Reports on the MARE website. Once they are submitted and approved, both workers have access to them. Family workers then notify families of the results, which should include a reason for non-selected families.

 

The selected family has 21 days to review additional details provided about the child, ask questions during an information-sharing meeting, and then decide whether to proceed with the match. Please take the time to carefully consider all the details to determine if you can provide the child with everything they need. If you decline, the worker will move to the next family they believe may be a match.

 

Coping with the wait and denials

It’s easy to connect and fall in love with a child’s photo, and we understand that. There is much more to the child’s story and needs, though, which impacts whether you're a match for them. Still, it can feel discouraging and frustrating to get denials. Remember that not being chosen doesn’t mean you aren’t--or wouldn’t be--a great parent. 

 

Here are a few ideas to help:

  • Check that you are inquiring about children who match the approval demographics in your homestudy, or talk with your worker about adjusting them.
  • Attend our Waiting Family Forums to learn how to strengthen your inquiries and stay motivated.
  • Here’s a smoother, encouraging version of your text that keeps the supportive tone:
  • Remember, inquiring can be a long process. While you wait, stay engaged by completing training and continuing to prepare for adoption.
  • Connect with your Adoption Navigator, or start working with one, to receive guidance, encouragement, and support.

 

What families should know

  • Be sure to let your worker and Adoption Navigator, if you have one, know when you inquire about a youth.
  • Stay in regular contact with your adoption worker, who will be your source for updates.
  • Responses take time, and not all inquiries will receive feedback.
  • If you are beginning the adoption process, focus on finding an agency and completing your homestudy so your inquiries can move forward.
  • If you are not selected, don’t give up! There are many waiting youth, and you may be the perfect match for another child or teen.

 

Questions?