Our agency, which works with the State to help parents like us foster and hopefully adopt children, recently sent a letter out to all of their families explaining how much need there is for more families who are willing to foster and foster-adopt.

One trend that they are seeing in the referrals from the States’ Child Protective Services Divisions is an increase in older children needing foster and adoptive homes.  Our agency was asking us to consider expanding our parameters (including age) for children we are willing to receive and to invite more families to think about foster-adopting children.

Katie and I did a search today on Texas’ adoption website and were looking through the portraits and brief bios of many children, both sibling groups and individuals.  Realizing that none of these children have “forever families” yet, and that some never will, is really heart-breaking.  Can you imagine turning 18 years old, having been fostered but not adopted for years, and then to age-out of the system without every finding a family to love you for the rest of your life?  I can’t either.  Where would I be today without my family?

I believe that adopting is a call from God, and further, the avenue which you take to adopt is a call, whether through the State like us, or private adoption (domestic or international).  There is no guilt trip here, for I don’t think everyone is called to do it.  But I think everyone must at least ask God if He is calling them to receive “the least of these” into their hearts and homes.

One update: The young girl, Felicity, about whom I posted a few months back, is no longer on the TARE website, so a family must have adopted her!