Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Humbling Facts

Here are a few numbers:

3,042

That's the number of children available for adoption in my state.

13,097

That's the number of churches in my state.

(Look up your state here).

The Bible commands Christians to care for orphans and widows.

We are failing.

Recently I was sharing these facts with a colleague of mine. I expressed that I believe some of the reasons people do not adopt from foster care is because a lot of the children waiting are black males who are thirteen, fourteen, fifteen (plus) years old. And that scares families. It is believed (and perhaps true) that children in foster care come with a lot of baggage---and families just can't handle that. Furthermore, the state hardly provides a lot of support for families who adopt through foster care, making the transition difficult. The state boasts of adoptions that are basically free of cost, well, financial cost...but that doesn't lure many.

I often hear people say, "I admire those who adopt from foster care. But that isn't for us."

It's obvious that thousands of people think it isn't for them.....thousands of Christians.

I admit, I was one of those who would say I'd NEVER adopt from foster care. After all, aren't there plenty of healthy newborns who need good homes? Well, the answer is no. Especially not for white children. There are dozens of couples in line for each white, healthy infant born and being released for adoption. There are far fewer who are open to black children. Sadly.

Adoption is NEVER easy. Foster care adoption is unique. I'm do believe adoption isn't for everyone. I do believe that once a family decides to adopt, all adoption options aren't best. For us, embryo adoption isn't an option. We aren't compelled to adopt from another country due to our work schedules and the cost. Domestic infant adoption was our last choice when we started this process, and it ended up being the avenue we chose.

I have no idea if we ever will adopt from foster care. But I do know that when we see the cold, hard facts, I allow my mind to wander and think, "What if...?"

Do you wonder, too?

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For those interested, check out Carrie Underwood's latest song entitled Temporary Home.

1 comment:

  1. loved this post. just went to a really interesting conference with many DCFS worker in my state and learned much.

    you should get on board with our matching monday program on my blog. you might enjoy it.

    ReplyDelete

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