Opening Your Door

I woke up this morning with a thought, and it has stuck with me all day. If a child knocked on your door in need of help - in need of food, love, shelter, encouragement, support....in need of anything - what would you do?

Imagine for a moment that child, maybe she's a 12-year-old girl. She's lost everything she has but a small bag with some clothes stuffed inside, and she's asking you to give her a meal, to listen to her story, to maybe give her a safe place to sleep. Would you open your door and let her in?

I think most of us would answer yes, absolutely! There'd be little question about how we'd react if we came face-to-face with a child all alone in the world with no one to care for him or her. Even if we didn't have an extra bed, we'd figure something out. At the very least, we'd call around and find some help. 

The Stats 

In the United States, there are about 115 million households. And as of 2013, there are about 104,000 children in the US waiting to be adopted. It sounds like a staggering number - one hundred and four thousand - and it is. But when you consider that there are 115 million households in the US, giving all of those kids homes should be doable, right? 

Less than one one-thousandth of a percent of US households would have to open their doors to a waiting child in order to give all of these children homes. It's actually about one in 1100, rounding to the nearest 100th. In a town of about 26,000 with about 10,000 households, we'd only need nine families to open their homes to a waiting child. 

There are all sorts of arguments that can be made to explain why this isn't so simple. For example, not all households are suitable for children, many of them are elderly people who can't physically care for a child, lots of people don't have the room or the money, and many people simply don't want to. These are all good and valid arguments. But when I consider that only 9 families in my hometown of 26,000 people would need to adopt a waiting child, and 9 families in the next town, it really does seem possible. 

Give the gift of childhood. Of family. Of love. 

Each of us, in our own way, can be part of a legacy - part of the generation that puts an end to waiting children lingering in foster homes or group homes, thinking they are just another statistic and knowing that their obstacles ahead are huge. Each and every one of us can help.

So today, I make this plea to you: 

If you have ever thought about adopting from foster care, take the first step.

• Learn more about how to adopt and what it entails, and make a phone call to an agency in your state to get started
• "Meet" some of the kids.
• Watch Shane's story. (Really, it's a worthwhile, important story.)
• Hear from people who have been there.

It's not an easy process, but it isn't that hard either. We've all done things that were more difficult, more time consuming, and more frustrating than to complete a home study. And we all know that the more challenging it is to reach a goal, the greater the reward can be when we do. 

If you haven't thought about foster care adoption, I ask that you do. 

Consider that imaginary girl in my opening story, and remember that she's not imaginary. She's real. And she's part of a group of more than a hundred thousand kids right now who desperately need your help. If you think there may be room in your home and your heart for a child, please, please think, pray, consider, talk about it. You might be surprised what you learn when you really think about the possibilities. 

If you know adoption isn't in your future, consider helping in other ways.

At A Family for Every Child, we completely understand that adoption isn't for every family, and that's perfectly OK. You can still be part of the solution. There are many ways you can help. Here are a few:

• Spread the word about the children in need. Tell your friends. Talk about it. Write about it. Help raise awareness. Social media is a powerful thing. Share a story or blog on Facebook or Twitter. Share this blog. Even if you only reach one person, you've made a difference. Really.
• Mentor a child in foster care.
• Become a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA).
• Become a respite care provider for foster and foster/adopt parents.
• Get involved in any way you can. Donate money, time, or supplies to organizations that help waiting children; there are many that could use your help, including ours..
• Offer your skills as a photographer or videographer to adoption agencies.
• Help create lifebooks and scrapbooks for children in care.
• Give children the chance to be a princess for a day or a hero for a day on March 2, 2014.

And if you know a child who is in foster care, offer your encouragement and support as a role model and someone they can count on - your care will mean more than you will ever know.

Why You CAN Do It - Why Most of Us Can

There are always going to be reasons not to adopt a waiting child. And like I said earlier, some of those reasons are valid. But there are more reasons to do it. I read a great blog on the Dave Thomas Foundation website called "5 Reasons You Won't Adopt from Foster Care, And Why They're Wrong." The article calls out to all of us who have thought about adopting from foster care but have turned away for one reason or another.

Here is my favorite part of the article, quoting Dave Thomas himself: ""These children are not someone else's responsibility; they are our responsibility." When children in foster care are permanently removed from their families of birth, we make what should be an unbreakable promise to them: we will find them a family. And we will do it in a way that cherishes their childhood and their developmental needs so that they can grow and thrive within the birthright of every child - a safe and secure family of his or her own."

Those are some powerful words. Heavy words. 

It's our responsibility.

It's my responsibility.

It's yours.

And it IS our responsibility, collectively, as a community of people who truly care about the welfare of our neighbors, especially those who have the greatest need. Together we can do this. Together, we will.

Thank you. Your care for children means so much. On behalf of all of us and all of the children, thank you. Thank you. Thank you.