For every family,
around Portland.
Explore foster parenting, adoption, kinship care, and resources for young people transitioning from care in or around Portland.
Find foster care and adoption support
Foster care and adoption resources around Portland
Local listings and statewide options. Contact the organization before visiting.
Young people need their own starting point.
Maine's Youth Transition Services supports older youth in state custody or continued care as they move toward independent adulthood.
No local matches here yet.
This doesn’t mean help isn’t available. Try all support, explore another town, or use the help below.
Start with Maine OCFS-
Full Circle Adoptions
225 Commercial St, 3rd Floor, Suite 300, Portland, ME 04101
Hague-accredited nonprofit adoption agency in Portland specializing in domestic adoption. Provides comprehensive services to birth parents, prospective adoptive parents, and adoptees throughout the US and internationally.
Hours & eligibility
- Listed hours
- Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM
- Who this helps
- Open to prospective adoptive parents nationwide. Birth parents receive free, confidential counseling. Contact the agency for specific program requirements.
Confirm details with the organization.
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Youth Leadership Advisory Team (YLAT)
34 Bedford St, Portland, ME 04101
Leadership and advocacy program for youth ages 14-23 who are or have been in foster care in Maine. Provides peer connections, leadership development, advocacy training, and resources for transitioning out of foster care including housing, education, and employment support.
Hours & eligibility
- Listed hours
- Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM
- Who this helps
- Open to youth ages 14-23 who are currently in or have previously been in foster care in Maine.
Confirm details with the organization.
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Maine DHHS Office of Child & Family Services
Statewide support
The state agency responsible for child welfare, foster care licensing, and adoption in Maine. Manages all public foster care placements and provides adoption services for children in state custody. District offices statewide.
Hours & eligibility
- Listed hours
- Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM
- Who this helps
- Services are available to all Maine residents. Foster care and adoption inquiries are welcome from anyone interested in providing a home for children in need. Child abuse reports can be made by anyone.
Confirm details with the organization.
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Maine Child Protective Intake (Child Abuse Hotline)
Statewide support
Maine's 24/7 hotline for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect. Calls are confidential. Reporters may remain anonymous. Available around the clock, every day of the year.
Hours & eligibility
- Listed hours
- 24/7, 365 days a year
- Who this helps
- Anyone who suspects a child is being abused or neglected can call. Reports can be made anonymously.
Confirm details with the organization.
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A Family for ME
Statewide support
Maine's official foster and adoptive family recruitment program. Regional recruitment specialists cover all Maine counties. This is the state's primary entry point for anyone interested in becoming a foster or adoptive parent.
Hours & eligibility
- Listed hours
- Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM
- Who this helps
- Open to any Maine resident interested in becoming a foster or adoptive parent. Single individuals, couples, homeowners, and renters are all eligible to apply. You do not need to be married or own a home.
Confirm details with the organization.
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Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine (AFFM)
Statewide support
Maine's primary support organization for foster, adoptive, and kinship families. Provides free training, support groups, resource navigation, respite coordination, and a county-by-county support network. Also operates the Kinship Program for relatives raising children.
Hours & eligibility
- Listed hours
- Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM
- Who this helps
- Open to all foster, adoptive, and kinship families in Maine. Also available to anyone considering foster care or adoption. All services are free.
Confirm details with the organization.
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Maine CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates)
Statewide support
CASA volunteers serve as court-appointed guardians ad litem in child protection cases. They advocate for the best interests of children in foster care by gathering facts, interviewing families, and presenting recommendations to judges.
Hours & eligibility
- Listed hours
- Mon-Fri 8AM-4:30PM
- Who this helps
- Children in child protection cases are assigned CASA volunteers by the court. Adults interested in volunteering must complete a 40-hour training program, pass a background check, and commit to serving for at least one year.
Confirm details with the organization.
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Maine Children's Home for Little Wanderers
Statewide support
Nonprofit adoption agency since 1899. Maine's only Hague-accredited international adoption program. Provides domestic, interstate, and international adoption services, home studies, matching, placement, post-placement support, and family counseling.
Hours & eligibility
- Listed hours
- Mon-Fri 8AM-4:30PM
- Who this helps
- Prospective adoptive parents must complete an application, home study, and background check. Birth parents considering an adoption plan receive free, confidential counseling. Specific eligibility requirements vary by program (domestic vs. international).
Confirm details with the organization.
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Adoption Solutions of Maine
Statewide support
Licensed nonprofit adoption agency based in Yarmouth. Directed by Jackie Komar, MSW, with over 25 years of experience. Provides domestic adoption services with personalized support for birth parents and adoptive families.
Hours & eligibility
- Listed hours
- Mon-Fri by appointment
- Who this helps
- Open to Maine residents considering domestic adoption. Contact the agency for specific requirements and to schedule a consultation.
Confirm details with the organization.
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Woodfords Family Services
Statewide support
Provides adoption home studies and post-adoption resources. Also offers a wide range of family services for individuals with special needs including residential, day, and clinical programs. Licensed child placement agency.
Hours & eligibility
- Listed hours
- Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM
- Who this helps
- Open to families seeking adoption home studies or post-adoption support. Contact the agency for specific requirements.
Confirm details with the organization.
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Spurwink Services
Statewide support
Large behavioral health nonprofit that partners with Maine DHHS to operate foster parent recruitment. Provides therapeutic foster care, mental health services for children and families, and family-based treatment programs statewide.
Hours & eligibility
- Listed hours
- Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM
- Who this helps
- Therapeutic foster care is available for children placed through the child welfare system. Mental health services are available to children and families statewide, often covered by MaineCare.
Confirm details with the organization.
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Community Care Treatment Foster Care
Statewide support
Treatment foster care program supporting foster parents and providing comprehensive services to youth in DHHS custody. Serves families within a 1-hour radius of Skowhegan, Bangor, and the Machias area. Provides training, case management, and clinical support.
Hours & eligibility
- Listed hours
- Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM
- Who this helps
- Foster parents must complete training and licensing requirements. Youth are placed through the Maine DHHS child welfare system. Contact Community Care to learn about becoming a treatment foster parent.
Confirm details with the organization.
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FAME Tuition Waiver Program (Foster Care)
Statewide support
Tuition waiver for foster and adopted youth attending Maine colleges and universities. Available to youth adopted from Maine foster care with DHHS subsidies and wards of permanency guardians. Applications open each March on a first-come, first-served basis.
Hours & eligibility
- Listed hours
- Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM
- Who this helps
- Youth adopted from Maine's foster care program with adoption subsidies from Maine DHHS, or minors who are wards of a permanency guardian with guardian subsidies from Maine DHHS. Must attend an eligible Maine institution.
Confirm details with the organization.
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AdoptUSKids - Maine
Statewide support
National resource connecting prospective adoptive families with children waiting in Maine foster care. Maintains photo listings of approximately 100 Maine children with adoption goals. Free information and support for families exploring adoption from foster care.
Hours & eligibility
- Listed hours
- Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM EST
- Who this helps
- Open to anyone interested in adopting a child from foster care. Prospective parents can browse photo listings and contact Maine DHHS or a licensed agency to begin the process.
Confirm details with the organization.
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Maine Adoption Reunion Registry
Statewide support
Official state registry for birth parents, adoptees (18+), and birth siblings (18+) seeking reunion. Over 2,000 individuals registered. Facilitates reunions when all parties consent. Maine allows adult adoptees to access original birth certificates.
Hours & eligibility
- Listed hours
- Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM
- Who this helps
- Birth parents, adoptees age 18 or older, and birth siblings age 18 or older may register. Registration is voluntary and reunion occurs only when all parties have consented.
Confirm details with the organization.
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Jobs for Maine Graduates - Opportunity Passport
Statewide support
Financial literacy and matched savings program for Maine youth currently or formerly in foster care. Youth savings are matched dollar-for-dollar up to $1,000 per year toward education, housing, vehicles, and healthcare. Over 700 Maine foster youth have participated.
Hours & eligibility
- Listed hours
- Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM
- Who this helps
- Youth ages 14-26 who are currently in or have aged out of Maine foster care.
Confirm details with the organization.
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KIDS Legal (Pine Tree Legal Assistance)
Statewide support
Free legal aid for children in the child welfare system. KIDS Legal specializes in children's legal issues including foster care, child protection, and educational rights. Provides direct representation, consultations, and self-help materials. Offices in Portland, Bangor, Augusta, and Lewiston.
Hours & eligibility
- Listed hours
- Mon-Fri 8:30AM-4:30PM
- Who this helps
- Free legal services for low-income Maine families and children involved in the child welfare system. Income eligibility guidelines apply for some services.
Confirm details with the organization.
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Maine Child Welfare Ombudsman
Statewide support
Impartial state office that helps resolve concerns and complaints about how Maine DHHS Child Protective Services is handling a child's case. Anyone can file a complaint. Provides resources on child welfare law and advocacy support.
Hours & eligibility
- Listed hours
- Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM
- Who this helps
- Anyone who has concerns about how a child's case is being handled by Maine DHHS Child Protective Services. Toll-free line also available at 1-866-621-0758.
Confirm details with the organization.
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NAMI Maine Family Respite Program
Statewide support
Provides certified respite caregivers for children with significant developmental delays and behavioral or emotional disorders. Families may receive up to 288 hours of respite care per year. Statewide program giving foster and kinship parents a needed break.
Hours & eligibility
- Listed hours
- Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM
- Who this helps
- Families caring for children with significant developmental delays, behavioral disorders, or emotional disorders. Available to foster, kinship, and biological families statewide.
Confirm details with the organization.
Listings may include nearby communities. Contact the organization to confirm its current location, hours, and who it serves.
Different paths, different questions.
Start with the kind of support you or your family needs today.
Thinking about fostering?
Ask about training, licensing, home assessment, and the ongoing support available to resource parents.
Already caring for a relative?
Explain your current caregiving arrangement. Ask which kinship, respite, and family support resources may fit.
Preparing for adulthood?
Ask about education, housing, work, financial skills, and transition planning. Youth Transition Services is a separate starting point.