Adoption Angels Welcome Mat

Date: [unknown] [unknown]
Location: [unknown]
Surname/tag: Adoption_Angels

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Welcome to the Adoption Angels! Being a part of this project is one of the most rewarding things you could ever imagine.

The first questions new Adoption Angels often ask are How do I get started and How does this all work?

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How Do I get Started

1. Read the Mission Statement to understand what Adoption Angels do and do not do.
2. See the links below to see what activities each role does within Adoption Angels. You will be required to choose one of the two roles.

Once your replies are received, you will receive the AA badge, and you will be added to the private Adoption Angels Google Group, the applications group (this is read-only), and the Google spreadsheet called the Adoption Angels Tracker. Please read the How-To tab on the tracker to understand how to use it.

Angel Roles

• Adoption Angels Mentors greet all new applicants, answering questions and helping them make sure they are set up and ready for their search with a Family Finder. They answer questions in g2g.
• Adoption Angels Family Finders do the work alongside the adoptee to actively search for the biological family. They use both DNA and traditional research.

Help Pages for Adoptees:

• Basic Search Help
• How to Set Up Your Profile
• DNA Basics for Adoptees

Many of these help pages have links to additional help pages

How Does Adoption Angels Work?

1. Adoptees (and other cases of unknown parentage) fill out an Adoption Angel help request form.
2. All request forms are automatically posted in the AA Applications Google group. You will have access to this Google group so you can read the applications as needed.
3. After weeding out duplicates, the project leader adds the applicants's name to the Mentor list on the AA Progress Tracker (spreadsheet).
4. A Mentor Angel will greet the applicants as they come in. They will send a form letter with several help links asking that each applicant has the information they need to make searches more efficient. The Mentor will work with the applicant until they are ready for the next step. (see the Mentor help page for this process)
5. Family Finders will check the waiting list of those applicants who are ready for cases they feel they can help. (see the Family Finder help page for this process)
6. Once completing the search, Family Finders send a closing report to the Project Leader which includes a DNA map if applicable.
7. When you have found the birth relative for your first case, you will receive an Angels Wings Badge.