Help your Faith-Based Organization (FBO) get involved with helping our children. Below are “Eight Ways Your FBO Can Help Find Connections for Waiting Children”
- Start with something easy. Ask your FBO to post at least one of our posters and ensure that our brochures are available to the congregation.
- Willing to do a little more, but still want something simple? Have your FBO allow us to send a monthly photo and biography of a waiting child that your FBO would feature in your Sunday bulletins and any on-line newsletters.
- Here’s another easy idea. Create a ‘Pray for Birthday Campaign”.
- We can identify about 5-10 individual children and sibling groups and give one or more of your FBO groups (such as a bible class or ministry) their photos and bios and birthday day month and ask that your group pray that these children will have a family or permanent connection by their next birthday.
- We also ask the group to advocate and engage others to pray and advocate for these children in helping them find a family.
- We will provide quarterly updates on what is happening in the children’s lives.
- Want to add another step? How about giving those kids a birthday party (some have never even had one) and invite families interested in knowing more about the children.
- We’re still doing ‘easy’ and one more easy way to let families know about our children is to have our Heart Gallery of waiting children prominently exhibited in your FBO. It can be displayed any length of time, from a few days to a few weeks.
- Step it up with the Heart Gallery which is a stirring and unique portrait exhibit of adoptable children sharing the same dream of having a “Forever Family” and really make an impact by asking your Faith Leader to do a “call to action’’ and give a sermon about how important it is for their congregation to help our children by being a permanent connection, adopting or helping them find an adoptive family.
- We are available to staff a table, display the Heart Gallery after services where a social worker or adoptive parent can be available to answer questions.
- Really want to get involved? You can also promote and host an adoption matching event at your church. We cover the costs!
- After the sermon, and along with an article or ad in your bulletin, sign up interested families to attend an information meeting.
- After the information meeting, host a small event where prospective families and waiting children can do activities together and get to know each other in a comfortable and child-friendly setting. We can work with you to arrange the activities and refreshments. We will also arrange for the supervision and transportation of the children.
- We can then sign up families to take the next step in the adoption homestudy process.
- Have your FBO make a commitment to a youth through our Covenant for Kids program.
- We identify a youth or sibling group that would like to attend one or more activities at your church.
- You identify a few families that are willing to commit to transporting the youth to church activities and ensure that he or she gets involved in the church activities that interest the youth. The families will advocate helping find a family or permanent connection for the youth.
- We will interview, train, and run clearances on the families wanting to provide transportation.
- Of course the best way to be involved is to help your congregation members become foster or adoptive parents!