NORTHAMPTON, Mass.—The Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) invites lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) adults interested in learning about adopting local children from foster care to attend an informational meeting in Easthampton on May 22:
LGBT Adoption Information Night-Western Mass.
Date: Wednesday, May 22
Time: 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Place: Treehouse at Easthampton Meadow, 1 Treehouse Circle, Easthampton, MA 01027
Adults who are considering expanding their families are invited to attend this informal event to learn about the process of becoming adoptive parents. The program will feature an informative panel of experienced LGBT adoptive parents who will share their personal adoption experiences. Social workers and other adoption professionals will discuss the process of adopting from foster care. Topics covered will include many of the questions LGBT adults face including:
- Can I be honest about my sexual orientation/gender identity during the adoption process?
- Will I go through the same process as straight people do?
- What kinds of support will I need/receive as an LGBT adoptive parent?
MARE staff will also present information about:
- Who are the children that need adoptive families?
- Who can adopt from foster care?
- What are the steps in the adoption process?
- How to begin the process?
In Massachusetts, more than 600 children and teens in state foster care are waiting for adoption into permanent loving families. School-aged children, sibling groups, children of color, and children with special needs tend to wait the longest for families.
To RSVP for this Adoption Information Meeting contact MARE at 617-54-ADOPT (542-3678). To learn more about adoption from foster care, call or visit www.MAREinc.org.
MARE is a private, non-profit organization, working since 1957 to find a “permanent place to call HOME” for CHILDREN and teens in foster care, including sibling groups and children who are traditionally harder to place. Through familiar programs including Wednesday’s Child on WBZ TV and Sunday’s Child in the Boston Globe, as well as innovative adoption parties, MARE has helped over 5,900 children leave state care for loving adoptive homes.
[From a News Release]
