If you have had the opportunity to care for a child or children from foster care or adoption, you know the trauma they have experienced. It is difficult to look into the eyes of a child affected by trauma and not want to find help for the child. For seven years, A Home For Me …
Adoption
We were sitting on the edge of our seats. Our hearts were beating a little faster by the minute. We exchanged nervous smiles. I had rehearsed what I was going to say…in the car, in the mirror, during my evening walks. Still, I had a checklist to make sure I didn’t forget anything. Finally, I …
Working in foster care is both rewarding and extremely challenging. It reaches out to the most vulnerable children. The children who have been disappointed by their birth parents. The ones who should care for them the most, helping them to know and believe that they are precious and valued! Foster Care establishes hope in a …
“A foundational truth: Connect before correct.” Dr. Karyn Purvis
Kevin had always known he was adopted. When he was 18 months old, he had entered foster care because his mother had died from an undisclosed illness, and his father, in distress, left him with a neighbor and never came back. That was the story he grew up with, shared by his adoptive parents. The …
I believe it is imperative for families in the foster care system to have a compassionate, knowledgeable caseworker who can display empathy towards families. Many families coming into the foster care system are dealing with an array of emotions from being angry, fearful, hurt, and disappointed with themselves. It important for a caseworker to be …
When Jonathan and Lynne Walker decided to become foster parents, their three children, ages 7 to 14, both biological and adopted, were excited. They gave an enthusiastic “yes, let’s do it.” Believing the adjustment to having more children in the home would be relatively easy for their children, the Walkers had yet to experience the …
Psalm 68:5-6 says that God is Father to the fatherless and that He sets the lonely in families. As God’s adopted children, it is in our DNA to care for the fatherless as well. Doing so, according to James, constitutes religion that is accepted as pure and faultless by God. Right now, there are more …
On June 21, we will recognize Father’s Day. For many, whose relationships with their fathers are strained or marked by abuse, or whose fathers are absent from their lives, this will perhaps be a difficult day. For others, who enjoy healthier relationships with our fathers, we will honor them. And, depending on our circumstances, will …
Some years ago, at a retreat for adoptive moms, I asked the question: “What do you wish you would have known before you fostered or adopted?” I wasn’t surprised by the answers. I wish I had known that I could get so angry at a child I really loved. That this would expose my wounds …
Several years ago, while training our trauma curriculum in Armenia, I described two principles: Abuse happens in the context of an interpersonal relationshipHealing only happens in the context of a healthy, stable interpersonal relationship. Pastor Raphael, a local minister, raised his hand, stood up, and asked if he could share a story. I invited him …
As I watch the round-the-clock media coverage of the corona virus pandemic sweeping our country, I can’t help but think of the silent epidemic that has been invading our public-school system over the past decade. The epidemic is largely invisible to those outside the system. It is an epidemic of childhood trauma and neglect that …
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness […] If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, …
Chris and Alicia Johnson are parents to 10 children, seven of whom were adopted out of the foster care system. They refer to themselves as the #JohnsonDozen.
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the world in unprecedented ways. Children and families who are either in the foster care system or are at risk of being so, are no exception. COVID-19 has impacted children, biological families, foster families, adoptive families, the court system, support services, agencies…virtually every area of the child welfare system has …
“You cannot pour from an empty cup. You must fill your cup first.” Dr. Karyn Purvis
Fifteen years ago, I celebrated my first Mother’s Day, but it looked a bit different than others. It wasn’t filled with my baby smiling up at me, flowers, or a handmade craft. I was a first-time mother in one way, but also not. I chose life for her. I carried and birthed her. She resembled …
It is Mother’s Day, many years ago. Six excited children are anxiously holding up pieces of cardboard; carefully wrapped in tinfoil, with large pink letters that spell “MOTHER,” taped on the front. While I took my turn with the other children speaking about the special qualities of mothers. “M” is for the many things… Little …
Whenever I heard about a teenage pregnancy, my first thought was that the mother should place her baby for adoption. Let me be clear in saying that the best option for your baby is life, but teenage pregnancy isn’t easy, and acting on it was a very different story.
Our intention in adopting wasn’t to set an example or even to encourage others. Our only goal was obedience. And yet, little by little, God helped me see that He can use our obedience to further His kingdom in ways we never imagined.
