Personalized assistance for you and your family!
Everyone needs support at times, and especially when welcoming a child or teen into your life.
Match Support provides an extra layer of support and assistance once a youth is placed with you. Our specialists are here to walk beside you, reduce barriers to adoption, and support your family through all the ups and downs that may arise on the path to adoption.
About the program
Match Support is a free, statewide service available to families who have been matched with a photolisted youth from the MARE website and who are moving forward with adoption. Our Match Support Specialists tailor their services to your family’s unique needs, goals, and interests. They are trained to preserve matches and are especially helpful when youth are transitioning into a home from residential care.
Ways Match Support helps
Match Support Specialists’ professional experience can be especially valuable for new adoptive parents, since they can offer guidance on topics or issues parents may not even know they need yet.
Specialists often become trusted partners, helping parents learn about available services, advocate for their child, and feel more confident in their abilities and the adoption process.
Here are some frequent ways they assist:
Providing parents with a supportive, empathetic ear
Helping to navigate trauma, create a sense of felt safety, and develop attachment
Brainstorming strategies for behaviors
Working with adoption teams to solve family concerns
Offering parenting tips and tools
Coaching on self-care and providing check-ins
Sharing relevant training and educational resources
Connecting families to services and providers
What to Expect
Match Support is a voluntary, 90-day program with the option to end early or request more time if needed. Your specialist will call weekly to check in and visit your home monthly. They can try to coordinate their visits with other workers, if you’d like. You’re also able to email or call them as often as you need.
Eligibility
Match Support is available if the child you are adopting has been photolisted on the MARE website and you have signed an Intent or Consideration to Adopt form. Exceptions may be requested if these criteria are not met.
Referrals
You may refer yourself or be referred by an adoption or foster care worker, Adoption Navigator, Adoption Resource Consultant, or other adoption team members.
To start the process, download the referral form below and email it to Julie Miller, Match Support Program Supervisor, at julie_miller@judsoncenter.org.
Questions?
If you have any questions, Julie can be reached at the email address above or by calling 734-794-2962