Jordan’s Furniture Hosts “The Adoption Option” to Find Adoptive Homes for Children in Foster Care

Furniture World News Desk on 9/20/2018

Jordan’s Furniture recently announced plans to host “The Adoption Option,” Sunday, September 23, 8:30 - 11:00 am, at Jordan’s Furniture, 50 Walker’s Brook Dr., Reading, MA. Jordan's is hosting the event in collaboration with the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) and the Massachusetts Department of Children & Families (DCF) to help find permanent families for children in state foster care. There are over 850 children in Massachusetts who are waiting for adoption right now. Adults and families who are interested in learning more about adoption are invited to this free informational event.
 
“During the countless years that we have been hosting the Adoption Option, so many homes have been found for so many children so, clearly, it works!” says Jordan’s Furniture President and CEO Eliot Tatelman. “In this day and age of technology, it is still essential to run events where adults and children have face time together. We continue to support the adoption and foster care communities because we see so many positive outcomes and successful matches from our efforts,” Tatelman concludes.
 
Adults new to the idea of adopting a child from foster care will attend a workshop in the IMAX theater to learn about the adoption process. New families are encouraged to arrive promptly at 9:00 am or 9:30 am for this “newcomers’ orientation” to make the best use of the Adoption Option’s resources and opportunities. They’ll also have the chance to meet with social workers and experienced adoptive parents for private conversations.
 
Prospective adoptive parents who have already begun the adoption process will be able to meet Massachusetts’s waiting children and their social workers in an informal setting. They’ll also be able to talk with experienced adoptive families and enjoy family entertainment, games, refreshments, and activities designed to encourage interaction with waiting children.
 
“Among all of the ways in which we educate and connect families to waiting children, adoption parties such as The Adoption Option provide families with the most opportunity to invest in the matching process”, said MARE’s Executive Director Lisa Funaro. “We are delighted to celebrate over twenty years of partnering with Jordan’s Furniture to increase recruitment opportunities for children in foster care. Because of their investment over 450 children have found an adoptive family.”  
 
MARE and Jordan’s Furniture are celebrating 20-years of collaboration.  What started as a simple recruitment project request from MARE to the nationally-known 6-store furniture retailer has grown to include several key stakeholders working together in order to make a significant difference in accelerating the path to permanency for waiting children. The Jordan’s Initiative Advisory Board is committed to making a difference in the lives of children in foster care by ensuring that each child grow up in a loving family.  The Board is made up of representatives from Jordan’s Furniture, including Eliot Tatelman, MARE, DCF and private agencies working together to promote “the best interest of the child” as the paramount consideration in all placement and permanency decisions.  The Board is committed to supporting the racial, ethnic and linguistic heritage of our children and their families.  The Board is committed to maintaining relationships among siblings and helping each child achieve their full potential and enter adulthood successfully.
 
As a direct result of The Jordan’s Initiative and successful partnership, over 450 children have been placed into adoptive homes through a variety of supported programs and initiatives. For more information about Jordan’s Furniture and their charity engagement, visit www.jordans.com/about-us/charities.

In Massachusetts, 2,800 children currently in foster care have the goal of adoption, and more than 850 of those children have no relative or other potential adopter. Nationwide, there are over 110,000 children in foster care in need of adoption. Older, school-aged children, sibling groups, children of color and/or children with special needs tend to wait the longest for families.

Prospective adoptive parents can be almost any age (18+); single, partnered, married, LGBT; homeowners or renters; experienced parents or new to parenting. Families of various income levels can adopt, as long as they have a stable source of income to support a child. There are no fees to adopt a child from foster care. Financial subsidies may be available, and children adopted from foster care are eligible for a tuition-waiver at Massachusetts state colleges and universities.

More about MARE: MARE is a private, non-profit organization, founded in 1957 to find adoptive homes for children and teens in foster care, including sibling groups and children who are traditionally harder to place. For more information,  visit mareinc.org or call 617-964-6273.

More about Jordan’s Furniture: Jordan’s Furniture, the premiere furniture and mattress retailer in New England, has one of highest grossing sales per square foot records in The United States. With indoor features like Beantown, Sunbrella IMAX 3D Theaters, a 4-level ropes course, indoor shows, an iconic holiday village display, and full-service restaurants, Jordan’s Furniture is the leader in combining entertainment with shopping. Store locations are destinations, with the average time spent on-site over double the industry average. Customer Service at Jordan’s is paramount. Jordan’s 1400 employees, the “J-Team”, excel at providing an unparalleled shopping experience. Established over 95-years ago and starting as a family business, Jordan’s Furniture is a community leader in their markets and believes in giving back to the community through charitable partnerships. They currently have six store locations including Avon MA, Natick MA, Reading MA, Nashua NH, Warwick, RI and New Haven CT, along with a Distribution Center Taunton, MA. For more information, visit www.jordans.com.