View All Articles In 2008, Focus on the Family decided to take on adoption in Colorado. They set a lofty goal: Work with churches to find permanent homes for every foster child in Colorado.
Three years later, the number of Colorado children in foster care awaiting a permanent home has been nearly cut in half. The Wait No More initiative uses one-day events and targeted marketing campaigns to raise awareness of the need for adoptive parents. It engages church leaders and ministry partners with state child welfare agencies. The best part: the Colorado template is now being implemented in other states by Focus on the Family and other churches and organizations.
Though Hollywood is often at odds with the Church, the rise in celebrity adoptions has focused attention on the opportunity and benefits of adoption. The release of movies, like Juno, presents adoption as a worthy pursuit for those faced with an unexpected pregnancy. Christians should capitalize on this renewed interest in adoption — an institution that reflects God’s heart for the orphan and our adoption as children of God.
Recent legislation has also been helpful, including the Adoption Tax Credit (2010), which makes adoption more affordable; the International Adoption Simplification Act (2010), which facilitates international adoptions; and the Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act (2011), which encourages states to move children from foster care into safe permanent homes.
God has used churches, the government and even Hollywood to make great strides in adoption being more accessible and acceptable. But there are still too many abortions and still too many children waiting for families. Let’s build on the momentum. For more information, visit www.icareaboutorphans.org and www.christianalliancefororphans.org.
This article originally appeared in the NAE Insight.
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