Equity Statement

UPDATED JANUARY 2025

MARE’s mission serves youth who are over-represented in the child welfare system, including children of color, LGBTQ+ youth and those with disabilities. We recognize that oppressions and structural exclusion of these communities results in disparate outcomes for children and families involved in the child welfare system.  This includes higher rates of removal of children from their biological families, longer waits for permanent placement in loving adoptive homes, and increased risk of aging out of foster care without permanency.  MARE commits to ensuring our services, practices, resource allocation and workplace culture serve to promote justice, build trust and elevate the voices of those most closely impacted by the experience of foster care.  

MARE employs several strategies to ensure that youth of all abilities, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations and gender identities have equitable access to the stability that family provides: 

• Examining all programming through lens of historical traumas and oppressive systemic structures which affect children and families involved with the child welfare system today 

• Soliciting and incorporating the input of youth served to ensure our work demonstrates dignity, empowerment and inclusion of those with lived expertise 

• Reducing barriers to entry into the adoption process often faced by adults from marginalized communities through outreach, advocacy and mentorship 

• Supporting placements of children of color with parents who are advocates for the child’s positive racial and cultural identity and can maintain connection to their own culture  

• Ensuring safe and affirming practices in working with LGBTQ+ identified youth, connecting them with homes where they can explore full expressions of self 

• Offering intensive, individualized recruitment services and advocacy for youth with complex disabilities 

As an organization, MARE is committed to a workplace culture that recognizes and respects diverse identities and lived experiences and upholds policies and practices which support holistic wellness for all staff.    MARE nurtures a culture of curiosity and learning that challenges individual biases and supports ongoing personal growth.  MARE is committed to sustaining a staff and Board which reflects meaningful representation of the diverse communities with whom we work and serve.