James 1:27 tells us to look after orphans in their distress. While not everyone is called to take a child into their home, everyone is called to do something. What’s your something?
As part of our discipleship series, Multiply, we had the opportunity to share resources about adoption and fostering vulnerable children. If you were unable to attend or would like an electronic copy of these materials, click here. We are partnering with several organizations & ministries that care for children in distress. Below are several links for you to get more information & find the best fit for you to support vulnerable children here, near & far.
Safe Families | https://minneapolis-stpaul.safe-families.org
Safe Families for Children creates extended family–like supports for desperate families through a community of devoted volunteers who are motivated by their faith to keep children safe and families intact. Families are invited to not only change the lives of a fellow family for better, but also enrich their own lives by practicing and living out biblical hospitality. Families do this by temporarily hosting a vulnerable child and while receiving wrap-around support from the church. Everyone wins. Our child welfare system is designed to react AFTER something bad happens to a child but, through the Church, safe families can help BEFORE bad things occur.
Hennepin County | www.hennepin.us/fostercare | 612-348-5437
Help a child. Heal a family. Hennepin County is committed to finding safe and loving foster homes for kids who need a temporary safe place to heal while their families work through child protection issues and forever homes to kids who cannot return home through adoption.
- Foster care: provide temporary care to children in the child protection system while their parents work through their issues.
- Respite foster care: provide care on an occasional basis, generally for a predetermined amount of time, such as a weekend or week to give other foster providers a break.
- Concurrent foster families: foster families open to adopting the children in their care should the children in their care not be able to safely return home
- MN Waiting Kids adoption: when kids can’t return home, we look for forever families for them. Youth in this program are ready to be adopted as soon as an appropriate family can be identified, as their parents’ rights have already been terminated.
Big Brothers/Big Sisters | http://www.bigstwincities.org
Right now, hundreds of kids in the Twin Cities are waiting for mentors. One of them is waiting for you. As a Big Brother or Big Sister, you can be a trusted friend to a child, and you will create memories that last a lifetime. The best part? It’s a lot of fun! Create some art with our Free Arts program. Go on a hike. Read books. Learn a new dance together. Or just hang out and talk. Whatever it is you enjoy, odds are you’ll enjoy them even more with your Little – and you’ll be making a life-changing impact. Youth who are mentored do better in school, have stronger relationships with their parents and peers, and are less likely to engage in risky behavior.
New Life Family Services | www.nlfs.org
At New Life Family Services, our mission is to honor the sanctity of human life by assisting clients in life-affirming decisions with the love and compassion of Christ. We believe each person should have the ability to receive physical, emotional and spiritual support as they face pregnancy-related situations and circumstances. It is through this care that we are seeing God change hearts, save lives, build families, and restore hope.
Compassion International | www.compassion.com
Compassion’s mission statement is simply “releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name.” It’s a mission about love. We love God, and we demonstrate our love and live out our faith by extending care to others. We offer our programs to the poorest of the poor, to the children in greatest need, without ulterior motive. We devote ourselves to helping children of all faiths, cultures, backgrounds and race — without imposing any religious obligation or conversion requirement upon them. We simply aspire to be like our Savior, Jesus Christ, in who we are & what we do.