Preparation
"Horribly Devastating?" No, a Life Worthy of Love
by Shannon Dingle
As a response to the doctor's condemning words, Shannon Dingle affirms the truth that her adopted daughter (with severe disabilities) is worthy of love.
“Adoption Doesn’t Fix Kids”
by Christian Alliance for Orphans
Faithful, wisdom-guided love does bear good fruit over time. But often it comes far more slowly, or in a different form, than we might have wished at first.
…And They Lived Faithfully Ever After
by Empowered to Connect
No matter where we are in our adoption journey, we must remember that God’s call, provision, and blessing are not defined by or even reflected in our circumstances.
3 Helpful Responses When Countries Close International Adoption
by Shannon Dingle
How should we, as the church, respond when countries close to international adoption?
5 Ways You Can Minister to a Family with a Failed Adoption
by Shannon Dingle
Adoptions are complex and they don't always end the way families would expect. Families going through grief need the support and love of others.
7 Steps to a Good Home Study
by Bethany Christian Services
An adoption specialist shares great advice and offers important steps for successfully navigating the adoption process.
A 105-Year-Old Woman on a Baseball Field and Other Things That Might Surprise You
by Christian Alliance for Orphans
We all like to be surprised by goodness or when beautiful things catch us unaware. And we never look more like Jesus than when we're surprising others with grace.
A Challenge for Adoptive Dads
by Empowered to Connect
Don't sit on the sidelines when your kids experience challenges related to adoption or foster care. Don't leave mom on her own to figure everything out!
02:03
A Foster Care Failure
by Christian Alliance for Orphans
One family's painful attempt to change the trajectory of a 13-year-old boy in foster care didn't work. Is this one more example of foster care failure? Maybe not.
A Giving Heart
by World Vision
Laura LeKander stands in front of a closet filled with hygiene supplies donated for women seeking help in a Minnesota shelter.
A New Forever Family... Again
by FaithBridge Foster Care
Todd and Naomi Holloman are the first to acknowledge that as their "new forever family" grew, so did their hearts and their faith.
Adopting Children
by Focus on the Family
Adoption must be focused on the needs of children rather than on the needs and desires of adults. Take time to evaluate your motivation.
Adopting Children From "Hard Places"
by Bethany Christian Services
Dr. Karyn Purvis, director of the Texas Christian University Institute of Child Development, joins Bill Blacquiere for a passionate discussion on the welfare of at-risk children and adopting children from "hard places."
28:45
Adopting for the Right Reasons
by Mark Gregston
Be sure that you're considering adoption for the right reasons. If not, you could be setting yourself up for heartache when your adopted child reaches his or her teenage years.
Adopting From Foster Care
by Bethany Christian Services
If you would like to welcome a foster child into your home, then here are the basic steps for you to consider as you work through the process.
Adoption and Infertility
by Bethany Christian Services
Although infertility is a private subject for many couples, it is not a unique one.
Adoption From Foster Care
by Focus on the Family
It's important to take the time as a family to evaluate if you are able to meet a particular child's needs.
Adoption Options
by Focus on the Family
If you're thinking about adoption, here are four options for you to consider.
Adoption: Step by Step
by Bethany Christian Services
Have you been thinking about adoption but aren't sure where to start? To help you in your decision-making process, here are the basic steps for becoming an adoptive parent.
Adoption: What Helps and What Doesn’t
by Focus on the Family
What helps — or hurts — children who have been adopted? What about adoptive families and birth mothers?
Adoptive Families Need Help
by Focus on the Family
Many children awaiting adoption today are older, have special needs, or are part of a sibling group. And, they often struggle with multiple traumas and behaviors that may overwhelm their new family. Adoptive parents offer some guidelines to those willing to lend a hand.
Becoming a Trauma and Attachment-Informed Church
by Shannon Dingle
Adoptive and foster parents know about trauma and attachment, so their churches should too. But what does that mean?
Beliefs
by Empowered to Connect
It's important to explore your belief systems to heal and transform your thinking and behavior. Knowing your beliefs will help you parent your children in a healthy way.
56:08
Bill Hancock: Competence Matters - Why Compassion Alone Isn't Enough
by Christian Alliance for Orphans
Bill Hancock, CEO and co-founder of Faith Bridge Foster Care, talks about the very real challenges in answering God's call to foster and adopt children in need.
09:28
Birthday Promises
by World Vision
Living conditions are poor for children in the U.N.-protected site in Malakal, South Sudan.
Blank Paper, Lame Lunches, and the God of “More Than Enough”
by Christian Alliance for Orphans
When it comes to the foster care crisis in our country, most of us recognize that the need is enormous. We also recognize that what we have to offer is totally insufficient to meet this need.
Broadening Friendships
by Bethany Christian Services
If your adoptive child is racially different from you, he or she becomes visually obvious to the community at large. Here's how to help your child navigate the complex world of racial relations.
Broccoli and Ballet: When Things That Aren’t Your Thing Become Your Thing
by Christian Alliance for Orphans
There are parts of advocating for children that you love and that come naturally to you. But then there’s all the OTHER stuff.
Busyness, Obedience, and the Perfect Time to Foster or Adopt
by Jason Johnson
The perfect season may never come. Are the parameters you've set for adoption or foster care perhaps too narrow?
Call Us Heroes if You'd Like. But We're Normal and, at Times, Needy Too
by Shannon Dingle
Are you friends with a parent whose adopted children? Cherish your friendship more than you exalt any heroism you might see in them.
Carissa Woodwyk: Listening
by Christian Alliance for Orphans
Are you listening to your adopted child's voice? Not just to the words, but to the heart?
13:16
Changing Plans
by FaithBridge Foster Care
It’s hard to foster. It’s hard to love children selflessly and then let go when they return home. And it’s even harder to intentionally be cheerleaders for a process so difficult. Yet, that’s what God calls us to do.
Chatting With Kids About Adoption
by Empowered to Connect
Learn a few misconceptions about adoption chats and reflect on several ideas to help you talk to your child about adoption in a healthy way.
Chelsea Geyer: Love Don't Fix - Redefining Failure in Foster Care
by Christian Alliance for Orphans
Foster care doesn't always end happily ever after. How do you prepare both your foster kids and your biological kids for the sometimes sad endings?
05:15
Children from Hard Places
by Empowered to Connect
Do you have compassion for the history and background of your adopted child? Dr. Karyn Purvis shares 6 major risk factors that could occur before you adopt your child.
04:53
Christie Erwin: Get Out Your List - Recruiting for Families One Child At a Time
by Christian Alliance for Orphans
When the foster care system has been a child's only parent, how do you prepare to welcome him or her into your home? Discover how child-specific recruiting can be a critical part of bringing kids into their forever homes.
03:28
Closing the Gap
by Empowered to Connect
Do you understand the impact your children’s histories have on their development? Learn how to respond compassionately so that you can effectively lead them toward healing.
Color
by Empowered to Connect
Carissa Woodwyk shares her experience as a transracial adoptee to help you understand what your child may go through.
58:39
Common Questions and Concerns: Transition and Attachment
by Empowered to Connect
Is your adopted child finding it difficult to transition and adjust to new parents and a new home?
Connecting
by Empowered to Connect
How well do you connect with your child? A married couple shares valuable information to help you connect with the children you've adopted.
55:48