Foster Care Resources

(The following was originally published in Fall/Winter 2008 "The Children's Corner." A publication of the National Ministries of teh American Baptist Churches USA)

Within the next 45 days Z will be moving into our home and become a regular part of our lives. Yesterday we sat down, all four of us, and discussed our family purpose, otherwise known as a mission statement.

In 2003, there were approximately 520,000 children in foster care in the United States. As that number has continues to climb, organizations all over America are looking for ways to encourage individuals to consider adopting one of these children in need. Novemeber is National Adoption Month. Adoption.com provides information, resources, photolistings of children in foster care and profiles of hopeful parents for those interested in adoption and foster care.

November is National Adoption Awareness Month. You might wonder what that tidbit of information might have to do with a blog on disabilities and the church. There are a number of convergences when one closely examines the intersection of adoption and disabilities. So, let’s look at a few of these convergences and then look at a few ways local Christians and the local church can intercede on behalf of orphans.

I'm sitting on my couch next to my sweet husband and we are watching our two beautiful boys eating their nighttime snack before bed sitting on the carpet in the living room. It has taken me a while to warm up to Z. Part of that has been trying to protect T. T is often very worried that Z is here to replace him. He needs constant reassurance that he isn't going anywhere and that we still love and want him. For much of T's life when another child arrives, it would be just a matter of time before T would be leaving. He is so scared that I will love Z more and that I will forget about him. On the other side of things, Z is worried that we won't like him and we'll decide not to take him in as part of our family.