Over the past six months, we have seen door after door open with local foster care agencies who are willing and excited about partnering with our church to train families throughout the year.
In the spring, three foster care agencies, one being a county agency and the other two private agencies, agreed to work together to teach the ten-week foster care training that was hosted in our church building.
To watch three separate agencies put aside egos and agendas in order to meet the need of foster children in our surrounding counties was tremendously exciting. This just doesn't happen on a normal basis between state and private organizations. Yet, we are seeing it happen and work in Western North Carolina.
Over thirty families completed the training and are now being licensed by one of the three agencies. This is encouraging and amazing news, especially because there is a shortage of viable foster families in our local area.
This week, Brian and I will be starting a six week study for families considering foster care or adopting a child domestically or internationally. It is so vital to work through scenarios, questions, and doubts when considering this journey. I wanted to share a great resource that we will be using to facilitate the discussion with those who will be involved in our class.
Pam Parish is a foster and adoptive mom who has written a thirty day devotional entitled: Ready or Not, 30 Days of Discovery for Foster and Adoptive Parents. It's a resource that anyone can walk through; either as an individual, couple, or small group.
I'm sharing this because it's difficult to find resources that ask the hard and direct questions families need to consider before fostering or adopting.
Honestly, when we started the adoption process four years ago, I believed that adoption was for every family. I've gotten a little wiser over time... and know now that this is not the case. While I believe there should be MORE families stepping up to foster and adopt, I don't believe that it is for everyone.
This book is a tool to help people walk through scripture and process through real-life scenarios and "what-ifs" with one another before beginning the process.
If you are local to the Western North Carolina area, we would love for you to join us this Wednesday night, from 6:15-7:30pm at Biltmore Baptist Church in Arden, North Carolina as we dive into this topic. All are welcome!
And a big thank you to all of you who entered the giveaway from last week's post! The winner of the Rodan + Fields Redefine Multi-Function Eye Cream is . . .
Traci Hudson!
Congratulations!
I'll get that out to you this week in the mail!
Leslie, thank you so much for using Ready or Not in your study. I'm so honored.
ReplyDeleteI found this blog very informative. Thanks! The process of adoption is a difficult, strenuous and emotional decision for a birth mother who is willing to give up her child for adoption for certain reasons. There are many intercountry adoption agencies that provide the services in Florida. The agencies also provide support to birth mothers.
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