About Families Who Foster and Adopt - Observations from the Side of the Pool 350 people were there—almost exclusively foster families and adoptive families. We had an enormous pool, a kids’ summer time favorite—greased watermelon polo, a hilarious DJ, and a triple zip line racing above...
The Stearns' Journey to Adoption - Part 2 Kirsten & Andy Stearns have been married 8 years, their son Lincoln turned 2 in January 2016, and they are in the process of adopting a special needs child, we now know - a boy, from China. They...
The Stearns' Journey to Adoption – Part 1 Kirsten & Andy Stearns have been married 8 years, their son Lincoln turned 2 in January 2016, and they are in the process of adopting a special needs child, either gender, from China. They have graciously agreed...
Editorial Note: In many nations, children bereft of parent(s) are not adopted but cared for in relationships akin to fostering. This practice is particularly prevalent in nations with large Muslim populations. Thus, displaced children legally remain a child of their birth parents. The stated purpose...
Our daughter is now eight years old and this holiday season was quick to remind me, "Papa, this is my first Christmas!" But this special little girl came into our lives a long time ago - at three months old when my wife, Amy, and I went on...
For most people, foster care is “zero entry” in that very few of us have chosen to take the plunge into being foster parents. For every 1000 American households, roughly 1 will be a foster home. Meanwhile, each year, approximately 7 of every 1000 U.S....
We all wonder how best to support our friends and family who are fostering. Let’s face it, foster families are usually in it for the long haul and they need a large safety net of people they can rely on to remain true to their...
With one heartrending image the tide turned. For Europe, what was long a faraway, hand-wringing perplexity became an “up in arms we have to do something” call to action. Political leaders no longer avoided a position, vague offers of assistance no longer satisfied. Even now,...
Oswald Chambers said, “Think of the enormous leisure of God! He is never in a hurry.” The first time I underlined this in my copy of My Utmost for His Highest, I was in the middle of waiting for an adoption that was dragging on...
“I could never do that.” This line makes for a great excuse. It’s subtle, and a powerful means of keeping our distance from problems, pain, and even people. If we could “do that”—take a risk, help a child, stand up for someone in a vulnerable spot—we’d...
