About 1,000 Massachusetts children without parents are waiting for adoption. The Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE), based in Boston and sponsor of "Wednesday's Child," is working with 450 of these children-those considered hardest to place.

For many of them, MARE is the last chance they have. Most have suffered abuse or neglect; many have been in families afflicted by drug or alcohol abuse; almost all come from disadvantaged backgrounds. Their average age is 7.7; 55% are children of color; 6% have siblings also needing adoption; nearly all, understandably, have emotional difficulties.

MARE was founded in 1957, to work with both public and private adoption agencies to help find permanent homes for waiting children. With 12 full-time staff members, it places 130 children annually in permanent homes.

MARE maintains a manual of photos and information on about 350 children in 350 locations across the State; it sponsors columns in several Massachusetts publications, from the Boston Globe to the Springfield Daily Union News--featuring one child or sibling group.

MARE also maintains an online photolisting of legally free children on their website; it enables a family to search for children who are registered with MARE, including those who are at legal risk.

Now MARE would like to enhance its online matching site to offer more content, including videos of the children waiting for adoption.