Adopt Kansas Kids Child-Family Matching System

Meeting their match (in a good way)

Adopt Kansas Kids (AKK) is part of the FosterAdopt Connect organization, which has been providing foster care and adoption services in Kansas and Missouri for more than two decades. AKK focuses specifically on matching children with adoptive families.

An important goal, but an outdated tool

AKK uses a centralized database as the platform for the adoption process, which involves gathering and storing information — everything from personal narratives to completion of a family’s state-mandated requirements to adopt. But the system AKK was using was falling short of their needs. In addition, they wanted to upgrade their public website platform and tie it into their database to allow prospective families to inquire about children whose profiles are featured on the site.

Matching, by design … and development

Level Five worked with AKK to design a new, custom tool, the Child Family Matching System (CFMS). We completed an extensive requirements-gathering process, designed easy-to-use screens with clear messaging and instructions, and built the system from the ground up. With the ability to handle record-keeping, inquiry management, metrics dashboards, searching, and documentation tools, the CFMS met AKK’s needs in a way no off-the-shelf platform could. In addition, we migrated their public site content to an upgraded WordPress environment and integrated child profiles with the CFMS.

Focusing on what matters, no matter what

Technology is great, but ultimately, it’s meant to solve human problems. Even with less-than-optimal tools, the caring people at AKK were doing valuable and important work. But, by removing technical barriers, we helped them (and the agencies and families they support) refocus more energy on what really matters: matching kids with their “no matter what” families.