Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange

What Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange does

Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) is a private nonprofit organization founded in 1957 and headquartered at 19 Needham Street, Suite 206, Newton, Massachusetts. MARE's stated function is to find permanent adoptive homes for children and teens in the Massachusetts foster care system, working in coordination with the state's Department of Children and Families (DCF) and contracted social service agencies. It serves three primary user groups: children and teens (ages 0–17) in foster care with a goal of adoption, prospective adoptive families, and the social workers who refer and coordinate cases. The scale of the underlying problem is large—5,500 youth in Massachusetts foster care, 2,500 with a goal of adoption, and 1,400 unmatched as of the input data.

MARE's product surface is a unified service platform centered on the mareinc.org website and adopt.mareinc.org portal. Core modules include the Child Profiles and Child Gallery, the Friend of the Family mentor program, Weekend Family Connections (host-family weekend visits for youth in residential care), MAPP Training for prospective parents, Child-Specific Recruitment (Wendy's Wonderful Kids, Specialized Recruitment Coordination, Video Snapshot Production), and the Wednesday's Child TV feature on WBZ-TV. The Neighborhood, a separate community engagement site at theneighborhood.mareinc.org, supports distributed donor and supporter action. Distribution is multi-channel: statewide in-person matching events at venues including Jordan's Furniture, Beanstalk, Franklin Park Zoo, Apex Entertainment, and Roller Kingdom; regional Child Services Coordinators covering Western, Central, Southern, Northern, and Boston territories; organic social on Facebook and Instagram; email newsletters; and earned media.

The business model is donation- and fundraising-driven, with no fees charged to families. Revenue streams include individual donations, corporate giving, The Neighborhood monthly giving program, and likely contracted or grant-based support tied to the DCF relationship. MARE holds the Candid (GuideStar) Platinum Seal of Transparency for 2025, the 2021 HRC Equality Seal, and a 2025 New England Patriots Foundation Myra Kraft Community MVP Award for volunteer Richard Benoit. It is not a technology company—core technology is described as not applicable—and the website's digital infrastructure is standard marketing/portal functionality without disclosed AI or proprietary technology components.

Name

Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange

Legal name

Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange

Website

https://mareinc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) is a 1957-founded Massachusetts nonprofit that finds permanent adoptive homes for children and teens in state foster care, serving roughly 1,400 currently unmatched youth via matching events, child profiles, mentor programs, and partnerships with the state DCF.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foster Care Adoption Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Child Welfare, Foster Care & Adoption Services (BPAGAEAE)

Keywords

• Foster care adoption
• Adoption matching services
• Child welfare services
• Adoptive family recruitment
• Nonprofit social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Newton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: MARE relies on donations from individuals, corporations, and community supporters. The website includes donation capabilities and monthly giving options through The Neighborhood program.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) is a private nonprofit that recruits adoptive families for children and teens in Massachusetts foster care. Its services include child profiling and a public Child Gallery, statewide matching events, the Friend of the Family mentor program, Weekend Family Connections host-family program, MAPP pre-adoption training, specialized child-specific recruitment (e.g., Wendy's Wonderful Kids), and educational resources. All services are provided free of charge to families and are delivered in coordination with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF).

Product overview

Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) operates a unified nonprofit service platform centered on its main website and online portal, which serves as the primary hub for connecting prospective adoptive families with children and teens in Massachusetts foster care. The platform encompasses multiple integrated service modules including the Child Profiles and Child Gallery for viewing waiting children; the Friend of the Family Mentor Program and MAPP Training for prospective parent preparation; Matching Events and Adoption Meet & Greets for family-child introductions; Weekend Family Connections for host family programming; and Learning Center, E-books, and Video Library for educational resources. Community engagement is supported through The Neighborhood program, while specialized recruitment services including Wendy's Wonderful Kids and targeted programs help match children with complex needs to families. All these services work together within MARE's ecosystem to facilitate adoption from foster care across Massachusetts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MARE: Abbreviated name used throughout the organization's website and materials

Products and services

• MARE Adoption Matching and Family Support Services The core, integrated service offering connecting children and teens in Massachusetts foster care with prospective adoptive families through child profiling, matching events, mentor support, and ongoing family guidance. Free to all participants; delivered in coordination with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF).
• Child Profiles and Child Gallery

Quantifiable outcome

• 35% of children placed had complex needs

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Human Rights Campaign (HRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHRC equality seal displayed on MARE website indicating organizational commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion. MARE explicitly welcomes all family types regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
• Candid (GuideStar)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMARE holds Candid's Platinum Seal of Transparency 2025, demonstrating commitment to nonprofit transparency and accountability standards.
• Jordan's FurniturecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJordan's Furniture hosts Beanstalk Adoption Meet and Greet events at their locations, providing venues for prospective families to meet children waiting for adoption.
• KPMGminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKPMG employees, led by Stephen Briggs, participate in Jordan's Walk/Run for Adoption and support MARE through employee volunteer and fundraising initiatives.
• Make-A-Wish FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMake-A-Wish Foundation granted the Vega family a trip to Disney World shortly after David's adoption was finalized.
• Apex EntertainmentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHost venue for Wednesday's Child adventure experiences for youth in foster care.
• Franklin Park ZoominorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted meet and greet events connecting prospective adoptive families with youth in foster care.
• Roller KingdomminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted matching events for families in all stages of the licensing process.
• Massachusetts Department of Children and Families (DCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore government partner; MARE coordinates child recruitment services, matching events, and family support services in collaboration with DCF and contracted agency social workers.
• AdoptUsKids.orgcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMARE produces waiting child profiles that are shared on the MARE website and AdoptUsKids.org to increase visibility of children needing adoptive families.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Wednesday's Child (WBZ-TV / CBS Boston feature): Media partner that produces the Wednesday's Child feature MARE uses as a top-of-funnel awareness channel. Included because the program format (TV feature profiling individual waiting children) is itself a reusable model that other state exchanges have copied, making it a thematic peer in the adoption-recruitment ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Wendy's Wonderful Kids (Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption): National child-specific adoption recruitment program that MARE actually runs as one of its service modules. Comparable in that both focus on finding adoptive families for children hardest to place, especially older youth and those with complex needs.
• Spence-Chapin Services to Families and Children: Established nonprofit providing domestic and international adoption services, pregnancy counseling, and post-adoption support. Comparable as a multi-service adoption nonprofit that combines matching, education, and family support under one roof.
• AdoptUsKids: Federal adoption exchange operated by the Children's Bureau that already lists MARE's waiting child profiles. Directly comparable mission (recruiting adoptive families for children in U.S. foster care) and is already a channel partner, making it the closest functional peer.
• Heart Gallery of America: National network of Heart Gallery programs that use professional photography and exhibits to recruit adoptive families for waiting children. MARE runs a Heart Gallery exhibit and Fostering Creativity showcase that mirror this awareness-driven recruitment model.
• Raise the Future (formerly The Adoption Exchange): Multi-state nonprofit focused exclusively on finding adoptive families for children in foster care, including those with complex needs. MARE's model (statewide exchange, child profiles, targeted recruitment for waiting children) is the same playbook Raise the Future runs across the Midwest.
• Children Awaiting Parents: National nonprofit that publishes profiles of children in U.S. foster care awaiting adoption and recruits adoptive families. Directly comparable online child-gallery and family recruitment model to MARE's Child Profiles/Child Gallery.

Regional players

• Children's Home Society of California: Large California-based nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, and family services. Comparable mission (finding permanent families for children in foster care) but operates in a different state, making it a regional peer rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Adoption Exchange Association: Umbrella association supporting adoption exchange organizations nationwide. MARE is a member of this broader ecosystem, and the association convenes peers like Raise the Future, AdoptUsKids, and state-level exchanges on shared practice.
• National Council For Adoption: National advocacy and education organization for adoption. Overlaps with MARE on adoption awareness, family education, and adoption-from-foster-care advocacy, but operates at the policy/advocacy layer rather than direct family matching.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/massadopt
• Instagraminstagram.com/massadopt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange