The Young Family Farm

Beautiful article on an adoption initiative in Colorado highlighting current needs in our state—and what we as believers can do about it:

Adoption initiative halves numbers of kids needing families
By Electa Draper
The Denver Post

The number of Colorado children in foster care awaiting permanent adoption has been cut in half by a partnership between churches and government that places parentless kids in “forever homes.”

When the Colorado Springs-based ministry Focus on the Family began spearheading the “Wait No More” adoption initiative in November 2008, the state had 8,000 children in foster care. That number included almost 800 children who were eligible for adoption because their parents had lost parental rights after the state found serious and repetitive neglect and abuse in their families.

In early 2010, only 365 children eligible for adoption remain in foster care, said Sharen Ford, manager of permanency services for the Colorado Department of Human Services.

The success of the initiative has surprised even its many partners — the state, nine counties, New Life Church in Colorado Springs, and dozens of other churches and private agencies. Ford called the results “phenomenal.”

Last year alone, more than 1,000 adoptions became final, Ford said. Because children constantly enter and leave the system, the numbers are always in flux, but by the end of 2009, 6,287 were in foster care.

“I’m stunned by the number of kids we’ve moved off the waiting list,” Focus on the Family president and chief executive Jim Daly said. “I was one of those kids — a kid that doesn’t have a mom and dad. I was never adopted, but I was very appreciative of the people who came along to mentor me.”

Daly said orphan care is a core mission of Christianity.

“If my Bible math is right, God reminds us 47 times to take care of widows and orphans,” Daly said. “This country has something like 300,000 churches and 130,000 orphans. The math is pretty simple.”

The average age of a waiting child in Colorado is 11 to 12.

“We talk kids”

Daly said Ford and the state Human Services staff impressed him. “They care so much about the kids.”

For her part, Ford said she considers it a remarkable public-private relationship.

“We don’t talk religion. We don’t talk politics,” she said. “We talk kids.”

Tiffany Beal, now a 20-year-old college senior in Colorado Springs, was in foster care for about three years before her adoption at age 11. She urges people to go out on a limb and adopt — because it’s the best thing they can do for a child.

“The most amazing part of being adopted was that no matter what, I always had a home. I had someone to call Mom and Dad,” Beal said. “Even at 3, my little brother knew he wasn’t home in foster care. He kept asking me, ‘When are we going to go home?’ ”

Prospective parents can hear about the challenges and rewards of adoption and then — if they choose — begin the long adoption process at “Wait No More” events.

Focus held such an event in Colorado Springs in November 2008. At one in October in Loveland, 50 families took the first steps to adopt children. The next is scheduled for September in Denver, where there are currently 116 children available for adoption.

Other participating counties are Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Boulder, Larimer, El Paso, Jefferson and Pueblo.

Ford said the screening for adoptive families is extensive. Social workers attempt to match the needs of children — many of whom have experienced a great deal in their short lives — to families’ capabilities. But the process is also inclusive, she says.

Colorado law allows for adoptive families to be two-parent, single-parent, older or otherwise nontraditional, including gay households.

“We try to screen people in,” Ford said. “Everybody wants to have a forever home. And there are no such things as perfect families. We need families who are flexible — who have humor.”

Room for four more

Bill, whose last name is being withheld to ensure his family’s safety, last year adopted four siblings between the ages of 3 and 10. He and his wife already had four children.

His biggest anxiety was the sheer number of unknowns, from the kids’ favorite foods to potential emotional triggers from past traumas.

“The most amazing thing is that they’ve been in our home less than a year, but it feels like it’s been a lot longer — in a good way,” Bill said, laughing. “From that first weekend, it felt as if it was meant to be. But that first weekend, there was a lot of explaining.”

At Focus, the initiative is a national effort, said Kelly Rosati, senior director of the ministry’s Sanctity of Life division.

In addition to the two adoption events in Colorado, Focus has held such meet-ups in St. Louis, Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Of those attending, 830 families initiated the adoption process at the events. About 750 different churches have been involved.

“We are not giving up or stopping until every waiting child in Colorado has the family it deserves,” Rosati said.

TOBY! I can’t believe it!!! He’ll be back in less than 24 hours!!!

Remember how Toby the stuffed dog (my 5 year old’s classroom pet) got to come home with us last weekend??? Well…I just can’t stand it as I JUST got word that Toby is OFFICIALLY on his way home from his BIG adventure! I’M SPILLING THE BEANS where TOBY has been because I just can’t STAND IT and he’ll be home in less than 24 hours! And might I add…it is a HUGE privilege and always a surprise which child in Parker’s class gets to bring Toby home—so on Friday when I picked him up from school Parker was ECSTATIC to get to bring Toby home. Toby is always accompanied by a carry bag with a notebook where you can take pictures of his adventures AND document his trips. But before I tell ya the “rest of the story”…remember 2 weeks ago with all of the children in Parker’s sweet school were working hard to sell things they made (you can read about it here) to raise money for Wiphan???

The stories the teachers told—were PRECIOUS. Heart after heart of these precious elementary children grew in love and compassion for the children in Africa. Several had been saving for months (some even years) coins in money jars. Many walked in with EVERY penny to their name and handed over their jars. And for some—this just wasn’t enough. They wanted to do more. It became wild fire, and the kids started asking their mommies to help them make things to make MORE money to give the children in Africa. Little Kyle in P’s class made cookies and sold them at his daddy’s work, Parker helped me make granola and we went door-to-door…and at the end of the week, the school raised more than $5,000 for the children in Zambia. PRAISE GOD! Praise Him for calling our children’s hearts to be compassionate and give generously and sacrificially to children in need!!! The class that raised the most would be given an ice cream party, but when the teachers saw their effort and hearts–they thought they ALL deserved an ice cream party! Parker came home from school one day during that week and said, “Mommy, our preK class only has 8 kids and the rest of the classes have 1800 kids—we probably won’t win. BUT it’s OKAY because Mrs.Kinsey said the REAL WINNERS are the kids in Africa!!!” Tears. You are right Parker. You are SO right.

Well…the very next Friday Toby came home with us. And all week ole Toby had sat in that classroom and “watched” these kids pray for the children in Africa. He “listened” to their stories of excitement about how hard they were working. And he “smiled” with joy as piggy bank after piggy bank was brought in. He also heard Mrs.Kinsey say that the kids in Africa were the real winners. And well—SOMEONE NEEDED TO TELL THEM…didn’t they?!

And it just so happened that someone we loved to pieces was on their way. When I picked Parker up from school on Friday, and he and Toby got in the car–we came straight home to load up luggage and daddy as he was taking off to go work with Wiphan and serve our widows and children. Parker has such a heart for Africa and wants to go SO BADLY—that as we drove to the airport he began to get upset…

P: Daddy, I don’t want you to go. Why can’t I go with you??? Please daddy, can I go with you???

Rich: Oh son, you’ll get to go—but not this time. You would need a ticket and I don’t have a ticket for ya buddy.

P: Well, what about Toby? Could you take Toby to Africa to see the kids? Would he need a ticket???

AND SO…

We decided Toby would deliver the message to the children. AND that we would document all of Toby’s adventures when he returned to show the children what life is like there and to teach them more about the children they so sweetly served. Parker cheered up the MINUTE we stuffed Toby in the luggage, and we laughed the whole way home talking and dreaming about what Toby would do and what the children would think about seeing thier FIRST STUFFED DOGGIE! How funny!!! And that silly Toby…snuck on the plane without a ticket!!!

STAY TUNED for the slideshow, video and rockin’ movie of Toby’s adventures!!! Until then…here is a sneak peak one of our Wiphan Zambian staffers sent us.

Toby hard at work with Labstone (our headmaster) in the Wiphan office (notice Kunda’s glasses and pen…they fit perfectly Toby!)

And this is Toby announcing to the class…YOU ARE THE REAL WINNERS!!!

Can’t you just imagine?! Look how PROUD Toby looks of them! Many of them even without moms and dads these children have gotten up, come to school and they are going to make a difference in their world!!! I believe through Wiphan–God is going to raise up these kids to impact their world for the gospel. AMEN!?

Hang tight—and check back often as Toby was very busy—and he may have a bit of jet lag over the weekend…so full documentation may not be ready until next week. This adventure is one you won’t want to miss!!! If you have little children, it will be an age appropriate way to teach them about life in Africa and share how they, too, can make a difference in lives across the world!

P.S. Thank you sweet Gigi and Aunt Tami for coming to keep the rest of us company this week! Aunt Nisia won’t let me post when Richard is out of town on my blog…so I had to wait until family was here and they were on their way home. I just couldn’t wait any longer and was about to POP! Wish you all a wonderful Thursday!!! To learn more how you to can make a lasting impact in Africa by investing in the education, spiritual teaching and feeding program for orphans and widows—please visit: www.wiphan.org.

Today’s Scripture Reading is: Numbers 34, 35 & 36. It is a historical and cultural passage–but so true that God always provides us a refuge. Thank you Lord for being our refuge and your perfect provision in our lives!!!