When an infant is developing in the womb, all the birth mother’s experiences, feelings, and anything she eats or drinks positively or negatively affect the baby. Many children who end up being adopted have in-utero or childhood trauma. This means their brains literally formed around chaos and stress. Sometimes when these children start to grow, parents …
Foster Care
It is a thrilling and transformative journey when foster care and the Church intersect! We understand the village’s crucial role in these families’ lives, and our church volunteers and partners are instrumental in providing them with the support, love, and life-changing experiences they need. The Church should be a beacon of hope for the children …
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 (NIV) Tweet When I think of having hope for the future, this picture of our family gathered around the dinner table is …
What is a foster parent? James 1:27 provides us the information we need to define the role.
You may have wondered before, “What is kinship care?” If you are caring for a relative’s children, you may not have heard the term “kinship placement” before you welcomed them into your home. I once met a grandfather who told me, “I didn’t know anyone else who was raising their grandkids—or that there was a …
Robert Day entered foster care while still in his mother’s womb. His mother, a single, pregnant teen, was placed into care after an alcohol-fueled road rage incident involving her mother and her mother’s boyfriend left a man dead. Robert’s mother was in the car at the time and was taken by social services and placed …
We are often drawn to people who are completely distinct from us. What begins as an exciting difference can become an estranged disconnection in times of stress. Usually, as couples, we respond in opposite ways to a crisis. If we aren’t careful, these differences that draw us to each other in the good times will pull us …
Cocooning is a fantastic opportunity to bond with a child who is new to your household. If cocooning is a new concept to you, consider it an adjustment and transition time for the entire family. There are a lot of different dynamics that may accompany a new child coming into your home. Some of those …
Tim and Katie Nester are currently parenting seven children. Their unique family challenges them to show steadfast love in action every day.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 Tweet As our family grew, we often found ourselves in uncharted waters, facing behaviors and situations we had never anticipated. As parents, we have …
As a mom to many, I often hear the phrase, “I just don’t know how you do it all!” My immediate response to those comments typically falls along the lines of, “Oh, believe me, I don’t. It takes teamwork as a family, and it takes a village!” For my husband and I, teamwork is essential. …
“So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life …
So you think you want to become a foster parent? Feeling called to foster care can be a profoundly fulfilling and joyous experience. You may have been inspired by a sermon, moved by statistics, or felt confident raising your biological children. Why not extend your love to a few more? The question may be, ‘Am …
Parenting is hard, and so is learning to self-regulate as a parent. It would be difficult to find a parent who disagrees with that statement. However, good news is embedded in that statement, too. Parenting is hard because you’re trying to be a good parent. You’re not just meeting your children’s physical needs; you’re meeting …
When we think of a precious child, we should first start with a definition of the word. Precious translates from a Hebrew word that can mean dear, expensive, costly, heavy, or grievous. We were all created in the image of God, which on its own makes us precious. The reality is that sometimes children with …
When I think of how to support adoptive and foster kids, I remember working with a 9-year-old boy named Nathan in counseling. Nathan was in foster care. He had bounced around a few different foster care homes over the years but had been in a mostly stable and supportive situation for the past year. His …
As a pro-family Christian ministry, Focus on the Family has always promoted adoption and foster care for families. In fact, since 2008, our Wait No More™ ministry has supported foster and adoptive families through conferences, events, free resources, and more. We want to encourage Christian families in their calling to foster, adopt, or support other …
I take care of the child, but there’s not much I can do for their parents. I’m not against reunification, but that depends on the family, and there’s nothing I can do about that. I have no control over the way this case plays out. I’ve thought it all before. If you’re a foster parent, …
I am a firm believer that one of the most challenging things in life is to feel alone in your pain. This has certainly been true in my own life. There were times I desperately wanted to hear someone say, “Same here.” I needed that level of emotional support. About 15 years ago, I got …
The African Proverb, ‘It takes a village to raise a child,’ is particularly relevant in the realm of foster care. The journey of welcoming a child into your home mirrors the experience of bringing your first child home from the hospital—filled with uncertainty and the question, ‘Now what?’ There’s no manual or guidebook to accompany …
