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Empowerment, Connection, Community

FY24 Annual Report

Letter from the Executive Director

Empowerment. Connection. Community. These are the commitments of our work that ensure that every child, teen or young adult has the opportunity for family. As we embark upon a three year strategic plan, we’ve dug deep into these commitments to build on what is working and broaden our impact even further.

Empowerment is never giving up on a young person’s wish for the stability permanency provides, even as they enter adulthood. It’s the pilot of a youth advisory fellowship, allowing for the insights of a teen awaiting adoption to inform our programming. It’s strengthening families through building a supportive village who will be there when they need it most.

Connection has always been at the core of MARE’s mission. This year we hosted 16 Meet & Greets and 14 Family Support Events, fostering the relationships that build bridges to permanency. Connection is building mentorships between experienced adoptive families with those newer to the process. And connection is finding families for 62 children who have a sibling whom they will now be able to grow up alongside.

Community is ensuring that the families we engage reflect the populations of the children and teens we serve by reducing barriers to adoption for Black and Latinx families, LGBTQ+ adults and those with disabilities. Over one third of adoptive placements this year were with a family of color.  Community is expanding our cadre of advocates who’ve shown up to throw birthday parties, donate guitars, or raise awareness in their own networks.

None of this would be possible without the wide web of allies that support and uplift our work. This includes the crucial community partners, volunteers, advocates who come together to create a network of care for our most vulnerable and disconnected young people. As you read about all that has been accomplished this year, I invite you to join us in creating a compassionate community ready to take action on behalf of those who need us most.

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AT A GLANCE

• 914 Children Served

• 2674 Families Served

• 230 Placement Connections

Love stats? Explore our statistics page!

Empowerment

We believe the voices of youth in foster care and the experiences of families looking to adopt are the beating heart of our mission. Here's how we have been creating opportunities for empowerment this past year.
The Maldonado Rivera Family:

A Journey of Cultural Bonding and Connection 

Migdalia Rivera grew up hearing stories of children in foster care. Her mother worked with the Department of Children and Families in Puerto Rico, instilling in Migdalia the desire to adopt one day. A few years after the birth of their son, Juan Esteban, she and her husband, also named Juan, felt the time had come to open their hearts and home to another child.

“We went to an adoption party organized by MARE," Migdalia recalls. "There, we found a photo of a child with a beautiful smile who looked so full of joy and energy.”

The child in the photo was Noah, a young boy who, like their family, shared Puerto Rican heritage. As Migdalia and Juan learned more about Noah, they felt a powerful connection, almost as if fate had brought them to him. “Before you adopt someone, you need to feel a connection,” Noah reinforces.

Although Noah didn't speak Spanish or have much exposure to his cultural roots, Migdalia and Juan were confident they could help him reconnect with his heritage and provide a loving, culturally rich home. “Even though Noah is half Puerto Rican, he was raised in American homes, while we live our Puerto Rican traditions 24/7. There was a bit of a cultural shock. For example, we didn't know what to cook for him. But he had a great attitude and was open to trying different things,” Migdalia explains.

Their journey has been filled with both joyful moments and challenges. Migdalia and Juan have been candid about the difficulties they faced in helping Noah transition into their home. They found invaluable support along the way—from their close-knit circle of extended family and friends to Noah’s foster mom, and from being able to communicate in their native Spanish with MARE staff and social workers, who were available to help them through any roadblocks.

Since they first met, Noah has visited Puerto Rico multiple times, met all his relatives, and even started to enjoy the local food. “My favorite part of learning about Puerto Rican culture was learning from grandma during one of our trips. Three Kings Day is my favorite tradition—you get extra presents!”

Through it all, their commitment to embracing Noah’s heritage and honoring his cultural background has only strengthened their bond and brought them closer as a family.
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Giving Youth
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CONNECTION HIGHLIGHTS

• 62% of children placed this year were children of color

• 55 teens were placed

• We doubled the number of children placed who had been waiting the longest - 40 total

YOUTH FELLOWSHIP

The MARE Youth Fellowship, piloted from February to May 2024, was created to bring lived experience to MARE and support the professional growth of a young adult in foster care. Yessenia, our first Youth Fellow, has been involved with MARE since 2016, participating in various recruitment efforts like video snapshots, media features, and matching events. The fellowship had two main goals: to provide Yessenia with professional development and gather insights to improve our recruitment strategies. 

During the program, Yessenia developed key workplace skills such as punctuality, communication, and time management. She explored career options by meeting MARE staff and other professionals. The fellowship included a mix of virtual and in-person activities, such as video calls, independent work, and volunteering. Attending events like the Jordan's Furniture Spring Meet & Greet was especially impactful, as it gave her the chance to connect with others and share ideas on making events more engaging for teens.

Yessenia and her foster mom provided great feedback, noting how the fellowship boosted her confidence and independence. It even encouraged her to take steps like applying for her first job!

FOSTERING CREATIVITY

Fostering Creativity has quickly become one of MARE’s most exciting annual events! In its second year, we brought together youth in foster care to share their personal stories through art. Held at the Worcester Art Museum, the 2023 showcase featured inspiring artwork from young artists, alongside our first-ever youth panel, where participants spoke about their journeys and the meaning behind their creations. The impact was incredible—one youth was matched with a prospective family, and another received a donated guitar through the generosity of The Neighborhood. Fostering Creativity continues to raise awareness, empower youth, and foster connections in ways we couldn’t have imagined.

 

LOOKING FORWARD

In our newly launched strategic plan, we are planning even more substantial ways to empower the children and teens we serve in all that we do. From creating integrated feedback loops so that we continually hear their perspective, to new recruitment tools that give them more direct input on every part of the process, we are putting the youth themselves in the driver's seat.

Connection

Building authentic connections between youth and families is at the core of who we are. Here are just a few ways we've been nurturing relationships this year and some of the amazing connections that have grown out of them.
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Events for Teens

We designed events meant for teens, giving them opportunity to express themselves and build connections. From flipping the script in our Reverse Teen Matching event, to creating space for relationships at the Purpose Expedition ropes course event, we are improving the ways we facilitate connections for teens in the matching process.

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Transformative Trainings

MARE hosted a series of transformative trainings designed to equip adoptive families with the tools to better understand and support the unique needs of children and youth. Morénike Giwa Onaiwu led an "Autism & Adoption" QnA session, offering guidance on supporting neurodivergent children. Isaac Etter, a transracial adoptee, shared his personal journey and provided crucial insights on navigating the challenges of transracial adoption. Terria Roushun’s hands-on Black hair care workshop empowered families with practical skills to nurture their children's cultural identity. These trainings align with MARE’s mission to foster strong, informed families that are prepared to meet the diverse needs of the children and teens they welcome into their homes.

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CONNECTION STATS

•  14 Hosting Matches for Weekend Family Connections

•  230 Placements with Adoptive Families

•  652 Families Attended Adoption Events
What families are saying about Family Support

We are so thankful to have been introduced to TBRI by MARE!  It's been an absolute gamechanger in terms of our parenting of and understanding of kiddos in the foster care system.  For us, TBRI teaches about trauma-informed parenting in a way that we understand and comprehend - teaching us the science behind trauma and how a kiddo's biology, beliefs, and body are impacted by trauma - and then giving us bite-sized tools we can slowly implement with kiddos to start connecting, so that we can reach them and support them in the way they need in a specific moment.

RE: TBRI

We are waiting to be matched and are open to any race, but have had concerns about being able to provide should we be matched with a child of another race. It was great to hear from that perspective what tools and efforts would make the most impact on how to provide the most support.

RE: Understanding and Supporting Your Transracial Adoptee
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LOOKING FORWARD

We know that lasting relationships are what is most important to the youth we serve - and the greatest determining factor in their ongoing well-being. We're building even more ways for youth to form the lasting connections they need, and redefining our metrics of success to better match what is most important to the youth we serve.

Community

 It is only with support from our community that our mission is possible. Here are just a few of the amazing community contributions this past year.
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A Year of Growth for MARE’s Volunteer Community, The Neighborhood 

Over the past year, MARE's Neighborhood, our dynamic online volunteer community, has expanded to over 300 members. These dedicated volunteers have made a tremendous impact by assisting at events, sharing op-eds about foster care adoption, donating art supplies, and so much more. 

Among these inspiring advocates are Brittany and Steve Zukowski, who have been exceptional champions for youth in care. They not only participated in our annual Walk/Run but also played a crucial role in motivating others to join and support our mission. 

Reflecting on their involvement, Brittany shared, "Seeing the significant impact that each person has on the lives of foster youth every day fuels our passion to support MARE." 

 

 
Learning through Community

DEI Learning Cohort

We are committed to continual learning at MARE, particularly around issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. This past year, four of our staff participated in a 20 week learning cohort with other nonprofits in Massachusetts. The cohort focused personal and organizational change that creates a multicultural, equitable culture.

 

Strategic Planning

We engaged in a vigorous strategic planning process this year, resulting in a road map to guide our priorities over the coming three years.  We listened closely to the voices of our community and partners – and most importantly the young people we exist to serve – and we’re energized to further our vision of a world where no child leaves foster care without the permanent family they deserve.

 

LOOKING FORWARD

We see the community of individuals, families, and organizations around foster care as essential to accomplishing our mission. In the coming years, we plan to create even more compelling and transformative opportunities for everyone to make a difference for kids in foster care. From expanding The Neighborhood, to enriching our events with more volunteer opportunities, we're creating pathways for everyone to get involved.

financials

DCF:

Individual Giving:

Grants:

Events

In Kind  

Total Revenue

$849,672

$177,461

$805, 845

$151,742

$130,946    

$2,115,666    

Change in Net Assets

Net Assets Beginning of the Year

Net Assets End of Year

 -$10,593 

 $602,505

$591,912

thank you to our donors