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Grafted
The Adoption & Foster Care Ministry at First Irving
First Irving has begun a new ministry focusing on foster care and adoption. Grafted hosts a monthly connection time to encourage, support and train anyone interested in fostering or adopting kids. Whether you are currently in the foster/adoption process, or are just interested in finding out more about it, you should make plans to attend! Grafted meets the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 7:15 PM in the Fireside Room, directly following Prayer Gathering. Childcare will be provided. For questions, please contact Janelle Hartsfield.
"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world." - James 1:27
Important Event
You are invited to a special lunch at First Irving hosted by Grafted.
Would you please join us to hear more about God’s call to care for orphans and the different ways you can serve?
When: April 1 at 12:30 PM
Where: Fellowship Hall at First Irving
Please RSVP to Janelle Hartsfield.
Types of Foster Care and Adoption
Foster Care – involves the temporary care of a child (or children) who has been removed from his home due to abuse, neglect or abandonment and is now in state custody. A child remains in foster care until such time as he is able to return home safely, be placed with relatives or is placed in an adoptive family. You can choose to foster an individual child or a sibling group, a child with or without special needs, and a child within an age range of your choosing.
Foster to Adopt – involves foster care for a child (or children) where the foster parents have indicated a desire to adopt the child when and if that is possible. Foster to Adopt parents understand that a child they are fostering may or may not become eligible for adoption by them.
Legal Risk – involves foster care for a child (or children) primarily with the plan to adopt the child once her parental rights have been terminated. A placement that is classified as “legal risk” typically implies a higher likelihood (when compared to Foster to Adopt) that the foster parents will be able to adopt the child being fostered, although that outcome is not certain.
Domestic Adoption from Foster Care (also referred to as Foster Adoption) – involves the adoption of a child (or children) in state custody whose parental rights have been terminated. You can choose to adopt a child from foster care without the commitment to foster. Children waiting for adoptive families are typically five years old or older, part of a sibling group and/or have some special needs.
Domestic Private – involves adoptions that can be facilitated by licensed adoption agencies (for-profit, or non-profit), attorneys or adoption facilitators, physicians, or other intermediaries. Often these children are adopted directly from their birth families using the services of adoption attorneys or adoption agencies to make sure that the legal requirements are met. Usually, the child's biological family chooses the adoptive family, and both parties take part in deciding how much future contact the original family will continue to have with the newly created family.
Inter-Country (International) – involves the adoption of children who are citizens of one country by parents who are citizens of a different country. Such adoptions require the approval of the governments of both countries. Nearly all international adoptions are conducted through agencies that understand the requirements of foreign countries and the US government.
Quick Facts
- Over 114,000 children in the U.S. foster care system are available for adoption.
- Over 4,000 children in foster care in North Texas, with over 1,000 of those children waiting to be adopted.
- Over 300 children ‘age-out’ of foster care in North Texas each year, and enter adulthood with no permanent family.
- There is a shortage of licensed foster homes in our area. As a result, children who are removed from their homes are often sent to live in foster homes as far away as Houston.
- 3 in 10 Americans have considered adoption.
- In any given year, 240,000 prospective parents will take the first step (such as making an informational call) toward adopting a child from foster care. Fewer than 10,000 of them will follow through to adopt.
- Nearly half of those who make an initial phone call about adopting a child from foster care choose not to engage in the process.
45% of Americans erroneously believe children enter foster care because of juvenile delinquency. Children in foster care have been removed from their homes due to confirmed abuse, neglect or abandonment.
- Most people wrongly believe that adoption from foster care is expensive. In truth, there is little or no cost to adopt a child from foster care, and in certain cases subsidies and other benefits are available.
- Region 3 N. Texas 19 counties 50,293 reports of neglect or abuse. 4,131 children in foster care and 3,376 children were adopted.
- Texas leads the nation in teenage pregnancies in which 25% were 2nd and 3rd births.
Ways to Pray for Children in Foster Care
There are over 500,000 children nationwide in foster care and thousands in the North Texas area. Each of these children are in need of help and hope, and you have an opportunity to provide that through your faithful prayers.
Understanding God’s Love: Pray that he/she will understand he/she is uniquely and wonderfully made by a God who loves and cares for him/her. Pray that he/she will come to understand and experience God’s love in a real and personal way!
Permanency: Pray that he/she will experience the unconditional love and care of a nurturing, forever family. Pray that he/she will not give up hope as he/she waits.
Attachment: Pray that he/she will develop a healthy and strong bond with his/her parents or caregivers.
Safety: Pray that he/she will be safe and protected from abuse, abandonment, neglect and rejection.
Healing: Pray that he/she will heal from all past trauma – physical, emotional and mental.
School: Pray that he/she will encounter an understanding and compassionate school environment that will provide the needed support (academic and emotional) and ensure that he/she meets his/her full potential.
Friendship: Pray that he/she will have the ability to form lasting friendships with peers that will be loyal and sensitive to his/her situation.
Wisdom: Pray that all members of his/her foster care team (caseworkers, foster parents, adoptive family, judge, therapist, doctor, attorney, teachers and others) will make wise decisions and always act in his/her best interest.
Resources
Tapestry Adoption & Foster Care Ministry
Contact: Amy Monroe | 972-315-9628
http://tapestry.irvingbible.org/
Chosen Ones
Contact: Randy and Vickie Akins | 817-741-7845
http://www.mychosenones.org/
Christian Adoption Agencies in North Texas
Buckner Children and Family Services
Contact: David Chandler | 214-321-4530
http://www.beafamily.org/
Catholic Charities
Contact: Aimee Bentley | 817-413-3925
http://www.catholiccharitiesfortworth.org/
Children and Family Institute
Contact: Rose Jones | 214-337-9979
http://www.cfiadopt.org/
Covenant Kids
Contact: Travis Jones | 817-516-9100
http://www.covenantkids.org/
Hope Cottage
Contact: Kathy Cobb | 214-526-8721 x 211
http://www.hopecottage.org/
Texas Baptist Home for Children
Contact: Jessica Prewitt | 972-937-1321
http://www.tbhc.org/
The Gladney Center
Contact: Marsha Rahn | 817-922-6047
http://www.adoptionsbygladney.com/
