statistics

 

  • 13,552 foster children in Texas are waiting to be adopted
  • In 2007, 1,440 youth in Texas aged out of foster care without a permanent family
  • 44% of children adopted in Texas were adopted by their foster parents

 To find the statistics for children in your state go to www.nacac.org, click on Public Policy and select State Adoption Fact Sheets.

link

to ministries

 

  • Embrace: the church reclaiming the care of orphans and waiting children (Rhea's Mill Baptist Church, McKinney, TX)
  • Tapestry: bringing help and hope to children and families in Jesus' name (Irving Bible Church, Irving, TX)
  • the CALL: children of Arkansas loved for a lifetime (Little Rock, AR)
  • Project1.27: answering God's call for adoption (Englewood, CO)
  • Orphan Care Connection: learn to do good, seek justice, help the oppressed, defend the orphan (Saddleback Church, Lake Forest, CA) 

  • What is the need?

    Worldwide, there are more than 140 million orphans.  This population of children is steadily growing due to factors such as AIDS, war, natural disasters, poverty, drug abuse and violence.  Internationally, orphans are at great risk of suffering human trafficking, slavery, malnourishment, and any number of other social injustices.  While many orphanages attempt to span the gap for their national and local governments, few are equipped with the necessary resources for success.  Today, in the United States, there are more than 500,000 children in foster care, and of these, more than 120,000 are legally adoptable, waiting for a permanent home.  Waiting children in the U.S. who are never adopted and "age out" of foster care very often repeat the cycle of poverty, crime, child abuse and abandonment.

    Every child needs a family...and this is the opportunity of the Church.

  • What is an Orphan Care Ministry?

    300,000 churches open their doors each week in the United States...yet few churches have resources available to their families or communities to either learn about or meet the needs of orphans and waiting children.

    An orphan care ministry is the response of the Church to the Word of God as he instructs us to "look after orphans" (James 1:27).  A movement has started in churches all across America to establish these ministries and reclaim the care of orphans and waiting children.  God uniquely describes himself as a "father to the fatherless...in his holy dwelling" (Psalm 68:5), and therefore, it is not only our responsibility but our privilege to deliver the tangible Gospel of Christ to these children and families.

    There is no one formula for orphan care ministry.  Churches may lead medical trips, build orphanages, support foster parents or any number of other avenues , but regardless of a ministry's focus, orphan care is at the center of God's heart as he chose "each of us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ" (Eph. 1:5).

    There is no organization, agency, government, religion or entity better equipped to care for the fatherless, than the body of Christ.