Orphan Sunday
Today is Orphan Sunday. It’s a day
to realize just how dire America’s orphan situation really is. You see, the
fact of the matter is, the Bible doesn’t afford Christians an option in orphan
care, and foster care functions as America’s modern-day orphanages. We are
regularly and consistently called to step in the gap, to be fathers to the
fatherless, to provide for and comfort them, in spite of the sacrifice and pain
it may cost us.
Here are a few startling statistics
from a study in 2015:
·
In 2014, 35,000 Americans were randomly surveyed.
They found that an estimated 70% of American adults are self-professing
Christians[4]
What Scripture Says
The above
statistics are both telling and disheartening. Undoubtedly, not every Christian
is called to adoption. But we are all called to actively help. James 1:27 says
that we are to help the widow and the orphan in their affliction. Isaiah 1:17
tells us we are to do right, seek justice, and take up the cause of the
fatherless. In Jeremiah 5, God brings a list of reasons why He is about to
destroy Judah, and one the primary reasons is their unwillingness to promote
the case of the fatherless and to defend the poor. The list goes on and on.
How You Can Help
Many people know
that foster and adoption are ways to help, but they are quickly at a loss when it comes
to helping in other ways. So below, I compiled a list of a few ways people can
pitch in:
·
Help
local parents: Many people know local foster parents. Come alongside them
by providing:
o Meal
trains for foster or adoptive parents who recently received a placement, or
recently lost one
o Clothes
or equipment, such as car seats, during a new placement
o Transportation
to and from various appointments
o Childcare:
Foster parents rarely get out because of restrictions on who can watch their
kids and who is willing to. But legally, kids can be watched by an unlicensed
person if it’s 6 hours or less
·
CarePortal:
The CarePortal is currently implemented in about a dozen states. It’s a program
that brings churches alongside the Department of Human Services (DHS) so that caseworkers
can request simple things like food, beds, clothes, etc. when they see a need
for them.[6]
o If
you don’t have CarePortal in your area, you could simply contact your local DHS
and ask if you can provide any of those things to a local family in need. I can
assure you, they will have lots of opportunities.
o You
can also contact local foster agencies who would likely love to have extra
formula, clothes, or toys on hand for current placements.
·
CASA:
Become a Court Appointed Special Advocate for a foster child in your area
·
Gifts:
Many children in foster care do not receive as many gifts during Christmas or
even during their birthday. Contact your local foster agencies to see if there
are any families that might have some toys in mind.
These are only a
few ideas, but you get the gist. There are ways everyone can help. It’s simply
a matter of getting out there and doing it. We all have different gifts and
abilities. By getting involved, you are helping bring redemption within your
own community in a powerful way. As Christians, we cannot let this opportunity
slip out of our hands.
[1]
https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/foster.pdf
[2]
Ibid.
[3]
https://adoptionnetwork.com/adoption-statistics
[4]
http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/
[5]
https://adoptionnetwork.com/adoption-statistics
[6]
Visit careportal.org for more information
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