Policies and Guidelines

All adoptee families must follow the policies and guidelines outlined below.

Application Submission

  • Applications must be submitted by the parent or legal guardian themselves and completed at once. Incomplete applications will be deemed ineligible to receive help.

  • Applications will NOT be accepted after the posted closing date of October 31.

Eligibility Criteria

Child Age Requirement:

  • Households must contain at least one child aged from birth to 18 years old.

  • If the child is 18 years old, they must be currently enrolled in a 4-year high school, and a valid student ID card must be provided.

1Legal Guardianship/Custody:

  • The household must have legal guardianship and/or custody agreements for the child(ren) residing in the home.

  • You will need to submit the most recent court order showing that the children are residing in your home.

Income Eligibility:

Households must meet income eligibility guidelines as set by our organization. The gross annual income guidelines are as follows:

  • Family of 2: $38,579

  • Family of 3: $48,961

  • Family of 4: $59,163

  • Family of 5: $69,365

  • Family of 6: $79,567

  • Family of 7: $89,768

  • Family of 8: $ 99,970

  • Family of 9: $110,172

  • Family of 10: $120,374

Geographic Eligibility:

Households must be located in the one of the towns that we currently serve:

  • New Hampshire: Barrington, Brentwood, Dover, Durham, Epping, Exeter, Farmington, Fremont, Greenland, Hampton, Hampton Falls, Lee, Madbury, Milton, New Castle, Newfields, Newington, Newmarket, North Hampton, Portsmouth, Raymond, Rochester, Rollinsford, Rye, Seabrook, Somersworth, Strafford, and Stratham.

  • Maine: Eliot, Kittery, York, Lebanon, S Berwick, N Berwick, Berwick and Sanford.

To maintain fairness and ensure that every family has the best chance to receive support, Village of Hope Charities asks that approved households refrain from applying to other Facebook-based charities. However, families are welcome to seek additional help through organizations like The Salvation Army, Toys for Tots, Chaos and Kindness, your local church, school, police, or fire department. This ensures that the resources we all provide are shared in a way that maximizes the number of children we can help during the holiday season.

Gift Request Guidelines

  • ·Once approved, you will be asked to provide a wish list consisting of needs and wants for each approved child. You are NOT allowed to ask for big ticket items. All items must be under $75. If you are found to be asking for any items over $75, you will not be able to receive help.

  • Adoptees may not solicit adopters at any time, for any reason. Anyone found doing this will be removed immediately and no future help will be allowed.

Communication Guidelines

  • Group Chat Only: All communication between the family and adopter must be conducted through the group chat set up by the admin. This ensures transparency and protects the privacy and safety of both parties.

  • No Direct Contact: All conversations between these parties must remain in the group chat set up by the admin. Contact initiated outside of the designated group could be cause for removal and holiday gifts being forfeited.

Gift Pickup Guidelines

  • Drop-Off Locations for Adopters: Adopters can drop off gifts at one of our designated drop-off locations. This is the safest and most convenient option for most adopters.

  • In-Person Meetups: If an adopter prefers to deliver gifts directly to the parent, arrangements must be made for a meetup in a public place such as a shopping center parking lot. Under no circumstances should deliveries or pickups be arranged at a private residence. This rule is in place to protect the safety of all parties.

  • Adoptee Gift Pick Up: If your adopter is not able to deliver gifts directly to you, Village of Hope will provide you with the date, time, and location for picking up your gifts. Please ensure you collect your gifts at the designated time and place. Note that adopters are not permitted to drop gifts off at your home. Failure to pick up your gifts as scheduled may result in forfeiting the gifts and could affect your eligibility for future assistance from Village of Hope.

Group Participation Guidelines

  • Blocking any admins or moderators at any time is grounds for removal from the group and you will not receive any help.

  • Adoptees may not ask to join the HSF adopter chat Facebook page at any time. If you ask to join or are in the group, you will be removed immediately, and no future help will be allowed.

  • Please respect the privacy of the members of this group. All personal information shared within the group page and chat is confidential.

Report Concerns

If you have any concerns or issues during this process, please contact the admin right away. We are here to support you and ensure that the experience is safe and joyful for everyone involved.

Consequences of Violations

We take the safety and privacy of our participants very seriously. Any violation of these rules may result in your removal from the group, and you may be prohibited from participating in future programs.