Couples seek forever families through Family Match site
TAMPA (FOX 13) - Idris Aines and Lee Pyle want to add to their family.
"I feel like we can provide safety, a well home, a great education and just positive role models for our child," said Pyle.
They had already started the adoption process when their caseworker told them about Family Match.
"After looking at it, we said, 'Sure, we'll sign up for it and anything to help us get a child into our home,'" said Gaines.
The program uses similar algorithms as dating websites to find perfect matches for families to adopt foster children.
A former Eharmony senior research scientist helped develop it.
"I hope with the fact that it links you to agencies throughout the entire state that it would make it a lot quicker and a lot easier to find a child to be matched with," said Gaines.
So far more than 400 families have signed up.
"We are so excited to announce that we have already had six matches," said Dr. Elizabeth Wynter of the nonprofit organization, the Selfless Love Foundation, which works with foster children.
But there is still a process before the adoption stage. There are background checks, training and adoption assessments before the profiles of potential parents are posted on the website.
A social worker reviews the child preferences. Then families see pictures of kids who may be a match.
"They get to know the child. The child gets to know the family," said Dr. Wynter.
Gaines and Pyle are understanding. They know it will be worth the wait.
"The agency wants to be very thorough that they are finding the best possible match for a child," said Pyle.
"It really doesn't matter to me about the timeline as long as we get the perfect child for us," said Gaines.