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Volunteer / Intern Positions
Welcome to our volunteer/intern page!
We're so glad you're interested in joining us and making a difference in the lives of children in need. At A Family for Every Child, we rely on the generosity of others to help us achieve our mission.
If you're looking to get involved and make a positive impact, we would love to hear from you. Whether you're interested in mentoring, fundraising, event planning, or something else entirely, we would welcome an opportunity to discuss ways you may be involved.
To get started, simply email us at info@afamilyforeverychild.org. One of our friendly staff members will be happy to chat with you about our organization and answer any questions you may have. We're committed to making the volunteering/interning process as smooth and enjoyable as possible, so don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything at all.
Thank you for considering volunteering or interning with us. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Our History
The Beginning
January 1, 2006
Heart Gallery of Lane County
April 1, 2006
Family Finding Program
September 1, 2006
2006 Recap
December 31, 2006
Mentor Program
April 1, 2007
Heart Gallery Christmas Giving
December 1, 2007
2007 Recap
December 31, 2007
Adoption Agency
April 1, 2008
Child Trends
May 1, 2008
Oregon State Partnership
June 1, 2008
New Office
September 1, 2008
2008 Recap
December 31, 2008
Princess for a Day
April 1, 2009
Recruiting for Washington
December 1, 2009
2009 Recap
December 31, 2009
Nation wide photo listing
February 15, 2010
Our first adoption!
April 1, 2010
Washington Heart Gallery
May 1, 2010
Matching Assistance Program
July 1, 2010
1st Winter Wonderland Event
October 1, 2010
Heart Gallery of America Website
December 10, 2010
2010 Recap
December 31, 2010
Hero For A Day
June 1, 2012
Summer Event
July 1, 2013
2014 Recap
December 31, 2014
2015 Recap
December 31, 2015
2016 Recap
December 31, 2016
2017 Recap
December 31, 2017
Upcoming Events
Blog
Frequently Asked Questions
Today in the United States, 423,000 children are living in Foster Care waiting for their Forever Family. Approximately 115,000 of these children are ready to be adopted. Unfortunately, 40% of these children will wait for over three years in foster care before finding a permanent home. Could you be a Forever Family for a child that is waiting?
“The solution to adult problems tomorrow, depends on how our children grow up today! There is no greater insight into the future than recognizing when we save our children we save ourselves.”
Who are the children in foster care?
I’m not married, can I still adopt?
What if I work full time?
Our house is smaller, does the child have to have their own bedroom if we adopt?
I am no longer child bearing age, am I too old to adopt?
We are a military family, can we still adopt?
What if I don’t own my own home?
What is a SNAC agency?
What is Matching Assistance?
Is the Matching Assistance Program a part of AFFEC Adoption Agency?
What is a Home Study?
Who selects the family for a child/children?
What is the ICPC process for adoption from another state?
Can LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender, and Queer) parents adopt?
How much does it cost to adopt?
Where do I take the required training?
- Prepare prospective parents to better understand a child who comes out of the foster care system
- Prepare prospective parents for adoption
- Challenge individuals to grow and develop as a parent
- Help parents consider: what type of child can I successfully parent? Am I able to parent a child who has been neglected and/or abused to some degree?
Legal risk vs. Legally free
How do I get started?
What is adoption?
Who are the children who are available for adoption?
Who can adopt?
How long will it take to adopt?
What is a home study?
Where are the children living while waiting to be adopted?
How does foster care differ from adoption?
Can the birth parents take a child back?
Can I adopt a child in a different state?
What is involved in adopting a child from a different state?
Can I adopt a child of another race?
Should I be a foster parent before I adopt?
Tell me more about your organization?
What services do you offer?
What makes your agency different than DHS?
Why should I work with AFFEC?
- A dedicated worker assigned to your family to assist you with searching, matching, and placement services. Workers are located all over the state for your convenience, or are often willing to travel to a family.
- The lowest adoption fee in the state. We offer one flat fee, no hidden or additional costs for our services.
- You will receive a copy of your completed home study, we believe you are the client and it is your product. Many agencies do not release home studies to families.
- We are one of the only agencies that work with children out of state. You will have on line access to listings of children for adoption all across the country. 60% of our placements are from another state and this gives our families many more options to consider children from other states.
- Experienced with the Interstate Compact Placement of Children (ICPC)– this is especially important when you adopt a child from another state.
- Matching Services focused on helping families advocate for themselves and several free recruitment options with targeted emails, website feature, feature family newsletters and much more
- We are honored to serve families of all shapes and sizes; we believe every family has something to offer waiting children.
What is the cost?
What is a Travel Fee?
- Travel to and from family visits at 35 cents per mile (mileage to start 15 miles
- from Adoption Worker home)
- Hotel: Not to exceed $100 a night
- Meals: $10.00 a meal (two meals only when travel and visit equal 8 hours, one
- meal if 6 hours)
- Travel to and from family visits at the rate of $ 10.00 per hour, or $15.00 an hour for a flat rate hourly (no mileage) option.
How long does it take?
- 2-4 months for Home study, depending on many of the families’ variables, like training, background check, completing documents.
- Matching phase 1-12 months, sometime faster, this really depends on how open the family is
- Post placement is 6-12 months depending on the state and how quickly they finalize.
Do you have to be married to adopt?
What does ‘qualify’ mean?
Do i need to own a home?
We want to adopt a baby. Is that something we can do through AFFEC?
Is there a risk we could get placed and lose the child because they return back to the biological parents or extended family members?
Are foster adoptions required to be an open adoption?
Organizational Documents
501(c)(3)
Tax Documents
- 2010 Tax 990
- 2011 Tax 990
- 2012 Tax 990
Download then open - 2013 Tax 990
- 2014 Tax 990
- 2015 Tax 990
- 2016 Tax 990
- 2017 Tax 990
- 2018 Tax 990
- 2019 Tax 990
- 2020 Tax 990
- 2021 Tax 990
Financial Documents
Reports
Misc Documents
- 2010 Strategic Plan
- 2011 Organizational Resume
- 2012 Org Chart
- 2012 Program Organization
- 2013 Child Safety Policy
- How Adoption Helps
Legal Disclosures
A Family For Every Child does not use restraints or any form of seclusion. As a requirement of Senate Bill 710 regarding restraints and involuntary seclusions, we submit
a quarterly report that is available upon request.
Oregon DHS CCA Licensing Report Requirements
Oregon DHS - Q1 2023 - Restraint and Involuntary Seclusion Report - Adoption Agency
Oregon DHS - Q3 2022 - Restraint and Involuntary Seclusion Report - Foster Care Agency
Past quarterly reports will be provided upon request.
Employees
I have served as a foster parent, guardian and host home for youth for over 30 years. I have a passion for youth and finding permanent placement in a home that meets the unique needs of the child. In addition, I have over 30 years of experience in the nonprofit field, serving The Arc of Lane County, Senior and Disabled Services and ORI Community and Evaluation Services.
Across the region, young people, especially BIPOC and teens, are struggling to find forever homes. While demand for services continues to rise, we must relook at the service system and find creative and powerful tools to connect families and youth in the foster care system. Adoption is not a one-size fits all process. AFFEC has a strong history of matching youth with nontraditional families and finding a match that can create unity and love for every child. I am very proud to be a part of this organization and provide leadership to making AFFEC relevant and serve unmet/niche communities.
Volunteer Coordinator
Kelli was a long term volunteer with A Family For Every Child before finding her place with our organization. Since 2012, her position has grown to include Child Recruitment Services as well as the Volunteer Coordinator for the organization.
“I consider it a privilege to be a part of this organization and to work alongside such dedicated individuals. I firmly believe that there truly is a family for every child.” Kelli is exuberant about her work and eager to form partnerships with agencies and social workers nationwide. “We all have the same goal in mind-to find stable, loving homes for waiting foster children. By providing free recruitment services, we can achieve this goal together.”
While Kelli’s work is her passion, she likes to spend her free time with her husband, two grown children as well as with many friends and relatives. While they enjoy trips to the Oregon Coast, University of Oregon football, and the beauty that is the Pacific Northwest, they are also self-described nerds and their home is filled with their memorabilia collection.
Heart Gallery Director
Adoption Workers
Eugene, OR
Rosalind has a Master’s Degree in Early Intervention from the University of Oregon. She worked as a caseworker for the Department of Human Services Child Welfare department for seven years. She has also worked with homeless families and victims of domestic violence. She says, “I believe that taking care of children is the most important job in our society and children in foster care are among those needing the most care”. Rosalind was born in North Carolina, but grew up in Italy. She has worked in Africa helping girls to go to high school. She has three children, six grandchildren, one cat, and enjoys gardening and writing.
Eugene, OR
Nichole Brown has a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Spanish from The University of Oregon in Eugene, OR. She worked as a Bilingual Child Protective Services caseworker for 12 years and has extensive experience working with foster families, interviewing child abuse victims and developing individualized case/safety plans. She currently serves as a legal assistant and child visitor for juvenile and family law attorneys currently serving local youth in foster care.
Eugene, OR / Surrounding Areas
Heather is an adoption worker based out of the Eugene/Springfield area, however, she works with families all over the state. She has been with the agency for several years now and absolutely loves being able to help families through their adoption journey. She has a huge heart, and has made it her mission to find loving and stable homes for children in the foster care system. Heather has a background in education and taught elementary and middle school for 13 years in Florida, California and Oregon before stepping into the social work arena. She spent time traveling around the United States in her camper before settling down in Oregon. She has worked with diverse populations and especially loves to work with non-traditional families. Heather connects well with children and goes the extra mile when it comes to providing service for her clients before, during and after adoptions. Additionally, Heather facilitates a community adoption support group that meets in Eugene once a month and is in the process of creating a group in the Medford area.
Portland, OR / Surrounding Areas
Staci is an adoptive parent who has a passion for assisting others grow their families through adoption. Staci is a passionate advocate and has a strong knowledge of adoption and how the system works. She lives in the Portland area with her children and husband. They enjoy the outdoors, helping others, and doing things together as a family. Staci is a dedicated worker who has many years of experience as a youth support counselor and as a teacher. Staci loves assisting others through the adoption process.
WA
Athenia (Tina) Childers……..was born in California to a single mother in crisis. She spent most of her formative years moving often from state to state, even at one point living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Much of these years were spent moving in and out of foster care, group care, receiving care and relative care.
Tina has 4 biological children and 7 grandchildren and 1 very cherished angel. Currently she has a teenager and her two sisters residing all in the same home.
Growing up in care Tina brings a unique perspective to the table. Always questioning and encouraging our youth to question. Bringing the “family value” of teaching our children to Dream……that is the one word that most us take for granted. Passion…….Drive……..Teach……..these are all very valuable qualities that Tina has had to learn along the way. One’s that she values above all else and shares with friends and family.
Tina has worked in Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Program / Shelter (YWCA), Federal Probation & Parole, State of Washington Children’s Administration (Child Protective, Child Welfare, Division of Licensed Resources), Pioneer Human Resources, Auburn Youth Resources, Sea Mar Community Healthcare and Anthem Healthcare (Amerigroup.) Currently she holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Criminal Justice with a minor in Forensics, and a Master’s in Science Criminal Justice Administration. With numerous other trainings and certifications. It is also with great anticipation that Tina looks forward to collaborating with our community, state and agency partners to provide a better future and to teach our kids to Dream again.
Bend, OR
Salem, OR
Eugene, OR / Prineville, OR
Hello my name is Stephanie Cummings and I am an Adoption Worker.
I have been working with families and children for over 30 years. I started out as a foster parent at 23 with a new baby myself. My household quickly grew with 2 bio children, 5 foster and a guardianship within a year. I fell in love with the children and began to look at the "why" and "how" we have children in foster care and the needs of families and communities. I became an advocate for my kids in court and providing resources for special needs. My heart grew bigger and I needed to know and research about this vulnerable population of little people. I decided to continue my education at received a Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences and in Women's Studies from Portland State University. I also have a 2-year degree in Interpersonal and Domestic Violence.
I have worked with families all over Oregon in many different roles. I have been an in home safety service provider, a foster parent, community trainer, family advocate, homeless families case manager in Portland and a child welfare social worker in Child Protective services and adoptions. I recently worked as an Education Manager for Head Start and Early Head Start and a Family Advocate. I have many years and training hours in attachment and bonding, special needs and education, RAD, oppositional and defiant behaviors and trauma and crisis.
I live in Prineville but travel to Eugene often as a second home base! I grew up in Springfield but have traveled and lived all over the state of Oregon plus a few other states! I have a blended family with 5 children and 6 grandchildren all under the age of 7! I love to travel, read, quilt and meet new people!
I feel strong and open communication, knowing your families and providing amazing family and child connections and matches are so important in what I do! I am so excited to begin this journey with A Family for Every Child
Eugene, OR & Other Select Areas
Spokane, WA
Astoria,OR / Surrrounding Areas
Portland,OR
Boise, ID
Gold Beach, OR
Idaho
Portland Area
Salem, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
My name is Elyse Hoots and I live in Sherwood, Oregon. I am married to my wonderful husband and we have two children that keep us busy! Together we love to go camping, play games, spend time outdoors and go to OSU football games (Go Beavs!). I received my degree in Human Development and Family Sciences from Oregon State University with the specific desire to work with children and families in the adoption process. Professionally, I have worked in Relief Nursery settings, Child Welfare and most recently have been honored to work with families adopting internationally. I am now thrilled to be able to advocate for children and families in this capacity. I am passionate about providing my clients with information, training, resources and compassionate support. I truly love getting to know my families, learning their stories and partnering with them through each stage of the adoption process.
Redmond, Oregon