Foster Children

Did you know that if ONE family in every church in Florida adopted a child in the foster care system, every child would be placed? Think of the resources that the church could then give to that family to help raise that child (both emotionally and monetarily). I bet the statistics are about the same all over the country.

I always thought that I would adopt. I have two younger sisters that were adopted internationally. I worked at an international adoption agency as a case manager for 4 years. I certainly understand why families choose to adopt internationally. There are families waiting over three years just to get their chance to adopt an infant from a foreign country. These adoptions are time consuming, expensive, and often emotional roller coasters as you are at the mercy of the government of that country. Too many willing families, not enough available infants. The wait for older children and sibling groups is much less. This is the same in our system. These are the children that are so hard to place...they come with baggage (don't we all??).

With three young children could we parent a much older child? Are we where we need to be at to give that older child all they needed. Probably not, but I also feel that at any stage in our lives we could justify why it was not the right time.

It breaks my heart to think that children age out of the foster care system without having found that forever family, to not feel wanted enough to be adopted. Can you imagine the holidays without a family to go home to?


Look at some of the children in need of a home in Central Florida.