This month we wanted to take the time to direct you to a resource that we have found valuable. 

"Many parents we work with through The Adoption Connection get to this place of apathy towards their child. They still love them, but liking and enjoying them has become difficult. When we prompt parents to be honest, and they realize they can trust us, they will put words to it. But most of the time these parents stay silent and wit...

My passion for vulnerable children for “children from hard places” began when my sister adopted a precious little girl from Vietnam 20 years ago and six months later, my husband and I adopted our daughter from Cambodia. Back then, we were given no training; no help understanding the effects her early life trauma and loss might have on her developing brain, her ability to attach to us or her emotional health. 

About ten yea...

We often talk about how not everyone is called to foster or adopt, but we are all called to participate in some way in caring for vulnerable children. As a church body, one of the best ways we can do that is by ensuring that our children’s ministry is equipped to welcome children with special needs. 

The task may seem daunting.

Volunteers may already seem scarce. 

But our God delights to see our faith worked out in justice and me...

When COVID-19 unexpectedly invaded our world, life changed very quickly. Lockdowns were put into place across most of the United States. The purpose of this piece is not to dissect decisions made by our leaders. Those decisions have been very difficult ones to make. Rather, we want to highlight one likely outcome of the lockdowns. The sad reality is that home is not a safe place for every child. Child advocacy professionals ar...

One of Bethany Christian Services' many programs that helps children is called Safe Families. When parents are going through a crisis, you can temporarily welcome their child(ren) into your home, allowing the parents to take essential steps toward stability. While the stay is short, the impact lasts forever. The goal is to help prevent the need for foster care and keep biological families together, when possible. Our blog post...

Since I can remember, I have always had a special place in my heart for working with children. This led me to pursue a nursing degree, specializing in pediatrics. My experience includes both critical and chronic care. I consider it a great privilege to have met so many beautiful and diverse families along the way who have taught me lifelong lessons about love. In particular, I would like to share about children who have chroni...

The adoption process can take years of blood, sweat, and tears. 

This is not to mention endless stacks of seemingly redundant paperwork, coupled with an agonizing wait.  And we quickly realize ~ that was the easy part. Parenting is inherently difficult, and parenting a child who has already lost his or her first family adds extra challenges.  We are instantly overwhelmed by attachment struggles, the unpacking of trauma, and sor...

The carol describes the baby Jesus as he was soothed by his mother, "little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes."  The cries of an infant are a call for care.

Our Savior came as a tiny child.

Russell Moore describes his first visit to the orphanage in Russia in which he first met his sons. “Of all the disturbing aspects of the orphanage in which we found our boys, one stands out above all others in its horror. It was quiet. The place...

My life has not turned out as I thought it would.  I thought by now, I would be married with 2.5 kids, struggling to balance being a pastor with family life.  In January of 2016, I worked with a friend to set up a new personal budget and set aside funds each month to afford an international adoption, looking towards a child from Haiti.  With less Target and Starbucks, as well as a friend regularly checking in, my adoption fund...

The adoption journey is one of the most beautiful, difficult, and redeeming processes of which one can be a part. It starts with the question, “Why adoption?” Why would you want to involve yourself with someone else’s trauma? There are so many questions that are hard to understand unless you are called to it. 

I was initially very skeptical about adoption because we already had a biological daughter. Eventually, my heart was so...