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Stories

Read the stories from adoptive families and youth who have experienced foster care.
by Zoe Perkins | 04.04.2025 | 12 min

The Santiago Family

Growing up in a community where people took care of one another, Leslie Santiago watched her mother embody the belief that “it takes a village.” This instilled in her a deep sense of shared responsibi...
Disabilities
by Ana Eira | 08.20.2024 | 5 min

Finding Forever: Megan, Ben, and Kimberly's Journey to Family

Megan and Ben’s journey to adoption began in an unexpected but beautiful way. Longtime friends who lived in different locations, they reconnected during the pandemic and soon realized that their conne...
by MARE Staff | 03.05.2024 | 3 min

The Cunningham-Elder Family

In the last five years alone, the number of kids in foster care waiting to be adopted has doubled. Half of them are sibling groups and children of African-American or Hispanic descent who need familie...
by MARE Staff | 02.09.2024 | 8 min

The Nogueras Family

Mary and José Nogueras are the proud, energetic, and patient parents of five children. They own a pottery studio down the Cape and are strongly invested in their community. The sound of kids laughing ...
by MARE Staff | 12.01.2023 | 5 min

The Santana Family

Every year, approximately 25,000 teenagers transition out of foster care without the support of a family. Marisol once believed she would be part of this number and was starting to feel anxious about ...
Disabilities
by MARE Staff | 10.17.2023 | 6 min

Wyman Family

In a world where family stories are as diverse as the colors in a crayon box, the Wyman family's tale is an extraordinary one that has unfolded over decades. Peter Wyman, a dedicated single parent wit...
Disabilities
by MARE Staff | 12.20.2022 | 4 min

Curran Family

All children are deserving of a permanent, loving family. However, children in foster care with unique emotional, physical, and intellectual needs are often dismissed and overlooked, simply due to the...
Transracial Adoption
by MARE Staff | 12.20.2022 | 3 min

Perkins Family

The first time the Perkins family met their son Josiah, the day was filled with hugs, soccer, and lots of happy tears. Alex, Katy, and their son Devin welcomed Josiah into their home in 2019, and alth...
by MARE Staff | 12.20.2022 | 4 min

Daley Family

Josian was part of a big family, and because of that, she knew that she wanted to be a parent along with her husband, Denzil. Apart from having an older child, Josian had a couple of pregnancies that ...
LGBTQ+ Disabilities
by MARE Staff | 12.20.2022 | 5 min

Sepulveda Family

Shelly and Tami Sepulveda’s journey of starting a family began in the hospital, not unlike any other family’s story begins. At the time, both of them were neonatal nurses, and there was a baby Tami wa...
by MARE Staff | 12.20.2022 | 4 min

Ecker Family

Not unlike any other New England family, the Ecker’s enjoy trips to Cape Cod during the summer, going to the beach, and looking out for any interesting rocks, gems or minerals that they can take home ...
LGBTQ+
by MARE Staff | 12.19.2022 | 4 min

Puhala-Kenney Family

Kimberly and JoAnne laugh a lot – especially with their daughter, Kloee. “Sit back and chill-ax,” seems to be a recurring motto in the Puhala-Kenney household. Not unlike most couples, the two women w...
by MARE Staff | 12.19.2022 | 4 min

Noonan Family

Maria and Kevin Noonan were enjoying a relaxing vacation when they got a call from their social worker. “You know, we got a little boy in our office who just came in and he wants a family with a dog,”...
Siblings
by MARE Staff | 12.01.2022 | 5 min

Thompson-Crowder Family

Most parents think that their job of parenting is more or less over once their children reach adulthood. There isn’t much stress; they don’t have to sacrifice weekends for birthday parties or soccer t...
by Ana Eira | 11.22.2022 | 2 min

The Cavanaugh Family

As a 14-year-old in the foster care system, Heather faced increasingly difficult odds of finding an adoptive family. In retrospect, Heather believes she would have faced great difficulty without a per...
by MARE Staff | 09.16.2022 | 7 min

Laina and Mike's Weekend Family Connections Story

Laina Julier and Mike Albert are one of the first host families for MARE's Weekend Family Connections program. The program, which families commit to for a year, connects youth in residential foster ca...
Transracial Adoption
by MARE Staff | 09.16.2022 | 4 min

Gidwaney Family

The Gidwaney family’s adoption journey began decades ago, thousands of miles away in an Indian village when Sanjli Gidwaney was only eight years old. Her family had traveled across the world hoping to...
LGBTQ+
by MARE Staff | 09.14.2022 | 7 min

Maldonado-Norton Family

For Angel and Leonard, growing their family through adoption was never a matter of if, it was always a matter of when. After 16 years together, the Boston-based couple began to think more seriously ab...