Comments on: We were all orphans once http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2007/06/20/we-were-all-orphans-once/ Sat, 22 Nov 2008 10:01:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Mark Byron http://www.benedictionblogson.com/2007/06/20/we-were-all-orphans-once/#comment-89860 Mark Byron Thu, 21 Jun 2007 15:39:05 +0000 http://www.benedictionblogson.com/?p=3219#comment-89860 If 1% of the evangelical families (let's say 10 million for a round number) are willing to adopt one of those kids, we have the problem licked. The adoption rate in churches I've attended recently have been much higher than that. Folks are willing to step up to the plate of adopting, but often keep getting brush-back pitches from the system. In many cases, kids wait in foster care because the system hasn't given up on their biological parents. Many "orphans" still have living parents that may be too many problems (psychological and/or substance abuse issues) to currently be good parents, but not so far gone that the system is willing to nullify their parental rights. At my old church in Midland, one couple took years to get to adopt the kids they were fostering, mainly because the system wasn't ready to give up on the biological mom. If 1% of the evangelical families (let’s say 10 million for a round number) are willing to adopt one of those kids, we have the problem licked. The adoption rate in churches I’ve attended recently have been much higher than that. Folks are willing to step up to the plate of adopting, but often keep getting brush-back pitches from the system.

In many cases, kids wait in foster care because the system hasn’t given up on their biological parents. Many “orphans” still have living parents that may be too many problems (psychological and/or substance abuse issues) to currently be good parents, but not so far gone that the system is willing to nullify their parental rights.

At my old church in Midland, one couple took years to get to adopt the kids they were fostering, mainly because the system wasn’t ready to give up on the biological mom.

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