The Institute (協会)

As a former foster child, and current child advocate, and a Christian,

I have got to admit that, yes, I have become disheartened over the years by Christians/churches who do not seem to care about "the least of these," "the fatherless," "the orphans and the widows."

That is the primary thing that makes it hard for me to find a church.

I care so passionately about improving the foster care system, that it troubles me that this issue is so often overlooked by Christians.

Lisa
www.sunshinegirlonarainyday.com

Wow, Lisa, what a difficult journey you had! I can't imagine. Blessings on your work!

The church I'm a part of has taken this head on. We have 770+ children in the foster care system who are legally free and waiting for adoption. At the same time we have 1500 churches in the Denver metro area. If every church took one child we would have a waiting list of families but not children.

Two years ago I forged a partnership with the State and we have a plan that unites the church and will empty our foster care system in seven years.

I've committed my church to 10% of the adoptions and myself to organizing the rest of the churches to respond.

I've found that the passion has to come from the pulpit and the private life of the pastor.

If you desire, you can check out my "about" page for more info.

I love your heart brother...
jt

Check out "Palmer Home for Children" - adoption is not the only way for the church to be involved and Palmer home has been doing this good work for a long time. When I was a little kid, I remember my parents quoting the passage about widows and orphans as they explained to me why they gave money to Palmer Home every year.

Jazz, you said, "The church I'm a part of has taken this head on."

This is very encouraging news!! You should start a movement of the church being the church!!

Barlow, dude you rock, thanks for the link!! Your parents were right to keep this issue in front of you guys.

While group homes are good, THE BEST context for a child to receive all the benefits of covenant life as God has designed within the context of family (including the daily means of grace practiced in Christian homes) is adoption.

I would rather a orphan spend the rest of his/her life ingrafted into the Barlow household receiving all of the benefits of covenant life "Barlow-style" than to have the kid in a group home until he/she is 18-yrs-old, only to GET PROCESSED out, and then spend the rest of his/her life without familial love.

Giving money to homes is good but actually taking in orphans, which was a regular practice in the early church (when people were poorer), is the BEST context for orphans. Adoption is the best option for multiple reasons (John 14:38; 15, Rom 8:23).

Leaving children as orphans is not necessary in America. A group home isn't better than a family. Again, what happens to the kid at 18-years-old? The Christian church could probably put an end to the foster care system in America in about 2 years.

We need long-term solutions: covenant families engaged in personal, sacrificial mission to their local community out of their local church.

(confession: I'm on the board of an adoption agency so I get kind'a passionate about orphans. So, whenever you guys are ready to start processing the paperwork just let me know:)

I would like to adopt, but I'm sure they wouldn't let us adopt - I think they probably have standards for income and housing, etc. that we couldn't meet.

Anthony,
I'm trying man, I'm trying!

Barlow,
You should contact you local social services, I'm sure you'd be surprised.

jt

I have a feeling that many families who might like to adopt domestically or be involved in the foster system are seriously intimidated by the red-tape of it all. Certainly, red-tape should not put off godly passion, but American Christains have so fallen prey to an erroneous interpretation of what "separation" is about that they have no idea how to engage the system--they are more comfortable with ignoring it. And the cost of this is paid by those we are called to bless--the fatherless.

When one has come to realize what God has done for us in Christ--that He has reached out to us who were not only strangers but even enemies, who not only don't deserve His love but only deserve His wrath, and He has brought us into His family, made us His sons and daughters, been patient with us when we have disobeyed Him and brought shame on His name, and continued to love and teach and nurture us--apparently the obvious response is to codemn homosexuals, work to get the 10 commandments posted in courtrooms, and lament that young people are listening to hip hop music. I say "apparently" because those are the issues that I see the church as a whole getting most passionate about (okay, so there's some hyperbole on my part).

It would make more sense to me if we would respond by imitating our heavenly Father and welcome orphans into our homes to be part of our families. Since before we were married, my wife and I agreed that adopted children would eventually be part of our family. Now, that hasn't happened yet (mainly because of financial issues) but we have taken the step to be foster parents, which is subsidized by the state. The great opportunity about being foster parents is that not only do we get to minister to a beautiful baby, but we are developing a relationship with her mom as well that we hope will be long term. We get to share the Gospel with both of them (as well as witnessing the Gospel in word and deed to anyone else involved: social workers, DFS workers, lawyers, judges, etc.). Will it be hard if our foster-daughter goes back with her mom? You bet; it'll be crushing. But our fear of that crushing feeling shouldn't be what witholds our love from this girl who needs us, or any other child that may come through our home. Plus, as her foster parents, if she is not reunified with her mom, we would get "first dibs" on becoming her adoptive family (which we would do in a heartbeat!).

I don't say all this to set ourselves up as a super-Christian family to emulate. Anyone who knows me knows that's not the case. I've probably spent more time watching Seinfeld and playing Madden football on PS2 than reading the Bible. Rather my point is, if we can do it, anyone can do it. Or, even more truly, since the same Lord who is supporting us by His grace is working in the lives of all His people, any of them can do it. What Jazztheologian is doing in setting forth a vision for his church and helping spread that vision to the churches of his community to tackle this crucial issue is awesome. I hope we can all be so faithfully responsive to the Gospel.

Anyone in St. Louis who is interested in foster/adoption opportunities should contact One Heart Family Ministries. It is a ministry that will provide you with the state required classes to become licensed foster or adoptive families. It was started by an incredible family that fostered many, many St. Louis children and adopted a bunch of them too. The great thing about it is that it is a Christian ministry, so while using the state-required curriculum, it is taught by Christians and you are among Christians. So as you discuss the issues involved in foster/adoptive parenting, you can talk about things like prayer and the Gospel and Scripture and stuff that is obviously relevant to such a ministry. And there grows to be a connection among the families who are in class together as well as with the ministry staff, so there is a lot of care throughout and continuing after the licensing process.

Oh boy, Anthony, I could write for pages on this topic...but I guess I'll stop now. If anyone is interested, here's a (relatively) brief post I wrote on becoming a foster parent a while ago:
http://www.tiny.cc/gPIzC

I am excited and thankful for jazztheologian's vision and efforts! I have shared his web page with other adoptive parents. What a blessing to read.

Drama, I agree with you about people being fearful of engaging the system. Good point.

"Perfect love casts out fear"

Actually Barlow, the standards aren't as high as you think. I know lots of working class people who adopt often. As a matter of fact, the more wealthy people are, it seems, the less likely they are to adopt. It's pathetic. Let me know if you guys qualify:)!!

Wow, NICK, this is GREAT stuff to think about. Write more. . .

Anthony, what do you think about white families adopting African-American or "mixed-race" children?

Anthony, any good links you might be able to provide to those who might be interested, but have absolutely no clue what they might be in for?

Robert, www.bethany.org. The best adoption angency in the world!!

I too would like to hear your response to Matt Smith's question about "mixed race" adoptions. My wife and I are looking to adopt in the future.

On transracial adoption: yeah, go for it. It's better than foster care!

Thanks for pointing out this problem. When the early Christians would pick up children left to die and adopt them we should be doing the same if we want to be "New Testament" Christians.

The gatekeepers to foster children are the state agencies. In my area, I have helped this agency reach out to churches so find Christian foster parents.

John Piper's church I believe maintains a fund to help Christians who wish to adopt. The cost of adoptions ($10,000+) is often prohibitive.

I'm an adopted kid, and my family is mixed-race as a result, so my word is: DO IT. It's awesome.

And, you know, as imitators of God the Father, who has adopted us as His kids when He found us poor and needy, shouldn't the Church be a lot better with adoption than we are? See, adoption's a good manifestation of our theology! Besides, if we get so upset about gay couples being able to adopt kids, shouldn't we be adopting those kids instead? Just a thought.

folks,

The cost of adoption is virtually free if you adopt kids in the state system through the state system. Not only that, but at least in Missouri, and I think in most places, the state pays for an adopted child's health care until 18 years of age.

The high costs most people think of are either adopting kids from other countries, or adopting kids through a private agency.

In my experience, the reason that most people shy away from adopting kids already in the state system is that many times these kids are "damaged." By that I mean they have been the victims of physical/sexual abuse, and they therefore have more complex care needs; or they are physically/mentally hadicapped, and they therefore have more complex care needs; or they have a different skin color than the prospective parents, which also complicates matters.

I don't want to be overly simplistic or harsh about this, but in most cases I think it is a poor excuse for Christians to avoid kids in the state system for those reasons. Our Father had was determined to bring us into His family at a very high cost (the life of His only-begotten Son), even though we were "damaged." Imitating our Father is not easy, but it is our calling

Nick, you're correct about the cost of adoptions!!! Great points!

convicting. motivating.

As a pastor, I have mentioned adoption in sermons once or twice, but I have never focused on it full in the face. I've definitely never tackled foster care as an issue to promote.

this is not to say our church has no adoption or foster care kids. in fact, we at least 10 kids I know if in that position in families.

But I have done nothing. I will pray and think and act. Thanks.

Anthony,
Great points, it is something that my wife and intend to think about in the future (i am sure you can understand why not immediately). I don't want to divert attention away from orphans proper, but do you think abortion is also somehow tied up into God's call to protect the weak. Cause if so, man, we live in the country responsible for a much greater genocide than the history has ever seen and probably ever will see. We are talking about 40-60 million or something like that. Is genocide of a whole generation a more urgent issue? (again not intending to divert attention away from the call to care for orphans) just a question? If it really is true that abortion is wrong, i would say that racist Christians and Christians in support of nazi germany, might not be able to hold a candle to a christian nation that for the most part sits idly by while mass murder on an incomprehensible scale is constantly taking place right down the street and will continue to do so. I am just wondering if this is our greatest blind spot?

that's "christian nation" (in quotes, you know).

As a current FSD (formerly DFS; it's the state, they get their jollies out of coming up with new acronyms) employee and a believer, I can only second what's already been said in my words, but here goes:

1) It's true, Medicaid covers children who have been in the foster care system. If you are going through the state, ask your caseworker about MAF/MC+. You may also qualify for coverage for your other children and even yourself.

2) You might as well go through the state. As someone said above, engage the system. It's red tape, it's messy, it's time consuming, but it's also a very dark place that desperately needs some believers, even as clients (you). And it's free!

3) Along with that, I can not tell you how encouraging it is to hear of someone actually trying to show Christ to their caseworker. Please do so - the caseworkers are as broken as the children, and many are there because they have friends and family who have been through one part of the system or another. And if they themselves are believers, they'll particularly appreciate being treated with the dignity that is often otherwise absent from both sides of the state desk.

4) Financial, racial, and emotional issues are valid questions and valid fears, but they are not valid inhibitors if God, your Father, is leading your family (or you as an individual? another whole discussion...) toward adoption. Such a step can be a great way to emulate Alcoholics Anonymous' prescript to "act as if" and then move from that action to deeper belief of what is true. Act as if God has adopted you and promised to care for you in this life and give you an inheritance with Christ in the next.