About Adoption Rhode Island

Mission

Adoption Rhode Island is a private nonprofit organization whose mission is to create safety, belonging and permanency for adopted and foster children, vulnerable youth, and families through compassionate services, advocacy, and education.

Values

We are an agency dedicated to improving outcomes for Rhode Island children, youth, young adults, families and professionals impacted by adoption and foster care. Our focuses include: finding families and/or lifelong connections for children, youth and young adults; providing support services to youth, young adults and families pre-post and beyond adoption; and offering education and advocacy for empower positive change in all related areas.

We believe the voice of children and youth is central to our work
We deliver our best and hold ourselves accountable
We lead with integrity, demonstrate transparency, and ensure exemplary fiscal stewardship
We promote diversity and inclusion
We strive to provide on-going professional development, continual learning, and sharing promising practices with each other and the community
We honor and value a broad definition of family
We are an organization that believes that every child deserves a sense of belonging, permanency, connectedness and a place to call home
We are an agency that promotes adoption as a lifelong process
We are proactive, flexible, and responsive; collaborating with other private and public agencies to deliver quality services while avoiding duplication
We are committed to the highest ethical standards in practice and approach to our work As a nonprofit agency, we rely heavily on your donations and volunteer contributions to continue serving waiting children. Please help us make a difference in the life of a child
We unequivocally denounce racism, intolerance, hate and exclusion, believing that taking a stand is not enough
We, have been on a path of exploration to identify how to more fully operationalize our core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion into all our policies, programs and advocacy endeavors, as well as model those values as we advance our mission
We believe that embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion as organizational values, is a way to intentionally make space for positive outcomes to flourish

Click HERE to see a larger version of our agency model.

Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Standards (CLAS)

Because we believe in providing respective and responsive services to all, Adoption Rhode Island is working to embed culturally and linguistically responsive strategies throughout our organization.

National CLAS Standards are designed to address the disparities that racial and ethnic minorities, people with limited English proficiency, LGBTQI+ communities, and people with disabilities, experience when attempting to access services. We are utilizing these standards to help us assess and improve our policies, practices, programs, and governance, with the goals of delivering high quality and accessible care.

With the children and families we serve, along with our community partners, funders, and supporters:

We believe the voice of children and youth is central to our work.

We deliver our best and hold ourselves accountable.

We lead with integrity, demonstrate transparency, and ensure exemplary fiscal stewardship.

We promote diversity and inclusion.

We strive to provide on-going professional development, continual learning, and sharing promising practices with each other and the community.

We honor and value a broad definition of family.

We are an organization that believes that every child deserves a sense of belonging, permanency, connectedness and a place to call home.

We are an agency that promotes adoption as a lifelong process.

We are proactive, flexible, and responsive; collaborating with other private and public agencies to deliver quality services while avoiding duplication.

We are committed to the highest ethical standards in practice and approach to our work As a nonprofit agency, we rely heavily on your donations and volunteer contributions to continue serving waiting children. Please help us make a difference in the life of a child.

We unequivocally denounce racism, intolerance, and exclusion, believing that taking a stand is not enough.

We, have been on a path of exploration to identify how to more fully operationalize our core values of diversity, equity, and inclusion into all our policies, programs and advocacy endeavors, as well as model those values as we advance our mission.

We believe that embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion as organizational values, is a way to intentionally make space for positive outcomes to flourish.

History

Our first home was the yellow cottage on the grounds of Rhode Island College.

In the early 1980’s we were known as Ocean State Adoption Resource Exchange (OSARE). Then came a move to office space in Pawtucket at Independence Square where we remained for 20 years. Our name changed to Adoption Rhode Island in 1997, but our original life changing mission to help abused and neglected children in state care to find permanency continued. And it remains at the heart of all we do today. Not long after our founding, 47 children were registered with Adoption Rhode Island.

2009 brought us to 2 Bradford Street in Providence.

In our home for 10 years a period of growth, impact, and continued leadership in caring for the most vulnerable children contributed to the depth and breadth of new programming and to increasing numbers of children, teens, and families served. In 2018, we welcomed 1,900 individuals through our doors.

In spring of 2019 we moved to our current location.

ARI’s home at 290 West Exchange Street in Providence is better suited to meet the needs of everyone we serve, and is a space to accommodate continued growth. As we approach our 40th year of service, those we care for will always know they are safe and have a place to belong when they come through our doors. And our new facility will serve as a hub for strengthening partnerships and collaborations, and advancing the work of professionals who care for children impacted by foster care and adoption.

In 2020, we served more than 2000 individuals in a continuum of direct services across programs and more than 800 professionals through training, consultation and education services. Not only did Adoption Rhode Island serve more individuals and professionals in spite of the unprecedented challenges of a pandemic, the organization also expanded direct assistance to families and transition age youth and launched three new programs to meet the needs of our constituents.