Matching Assistance

Many families have a difficult time identifying children to inquire on as well as being considered and contacted by the children's caseworkers. We're here to help families through this sometimes long and challenging part of the adoption process.

Children’s case workers from all over the United States search for suitable, approved homes for
thousands of foster children nationwide.

In this search, they are looking at parenting qualifications such as:

Parent Training and Education
Ability to accommodate special needs of child

Having your family biography, home study, and family video ready for a searching case worker greatly increases the chance that you will be identified as a potential adoptive family for a waiting foster child.

You don't need extraordinary equipment to provide these to us. Pertinent, honest, and entertaining family
photos can be taken with an ordinary digital video/camera and uploaded via the Internet to the Matching Assistance website.

We can follow up on children you submit your homestudy on using our "submit on offsite children" button within the Matching Assistance website. Family Search Specialists provide a nationwide search upon activation on your behalf and then support you through your adoption journey, providing you with answers to your questions and updates to children you submit on.

We are NOT taking place of your adoption agency or your assigned adoption worker. They are extremely important to you during the adoption process. We work alongside you as part of a team to help identify a child or sibling group available within the foster care system in the United States.

We're here for YOU!

How to Sign Up for Matching Assistance

 

Create your Family Profile.
  • The family profile includes agency information, adoption worker information, family members, adoption preferences, etc. Fill in as much information as you can.  The more information you record, makes our searches and caseworker searches easier to find you.

Once you are done with the Family Profile, you will come to a screen titled “Family Home Page.”

Family Home Page

On this page there are four sections for you to choose from.  Begin with the 1st and work your way through the steps.

On the Family Home Page, you will add all the information you want to include in your family story (family biography).

Do not include personal information like addresses, social security numbers or phone numbers.

  • Upload the Family Thumbnail Photo. This is the picture a caseworker will see first and is extremely important! Make sure your photos are clear and crisp. A portait style photo works well here.

    Photo Hints:
    Make sure they are clear and appropriate.
    Avoid using blurry, or black and white photos.

  • Upload Family Video (optional)
  • Create your family biography or view what you have already written

    The family should provide a statement that is prominently featured about the child/ren whom they believe they can welcome into their hearts and home and whom they believe they can parent well. Include any additional training and experience your family has pertaining to the children you feel you can parent well.

    Many adoption professionals state that personality is the most important area on which to focus in determining a good fit between children and families. Common interests often are a bridge to developing a relationship between a parent and a child.

Once you are finished with your family biography, pictures and video if you have one, request activation. Once this is completed, you will have instant access to the additional child listings.

For more information or to sign up with our program, please go to http://www.afamilyforever.org/ .
Nora Sharp--Matching Assistance Coordinator           Address: 880 Beltline Road Springfield OR 97477
Fax: 541-343-2866 Phone: 877-343-2856