Do Your Part

By nature, I am a very passionate person. I am passionate about many things, but there are two that receive most of my attention. The first being education. I've written on that before; and the second being foster care.

For those of you who weren't aware, yesterday was Orphan Sunday.

Did you know, there are half a million children in the foster care system in the United States. Here in Oklahoma, there are over 10,100 children in foster care. And of those 10,100, there are 350 whose parents' rights have been terminated. Yes, these kids need to be adopted. They need forever homes. This breaks my heart. It breaks my heart that for whatever reason there are parents who can't, or won't, do what they need to reunite with their kids. Even more, it breaks my heart that there aren't more people willing to take a stand and give these kids a safe, healthy place to call home. Every year, 25,000 kids age out of the foster care system. What do you think becomes of these fatherless children? The statistics aren't good; and often times they continue the cycle by having children of their own who become a statistic of foster care, as well.

Now, you can look at this from a religious perspective, God calls us to set the lonely and to defend the orphans and widows. But religion aside, as human beings, we should feel compassion and love towards these children, who need someone to step up and say, "You belong with me. I'll keep you safe. You're a part of this family." Don't get me wrong, not everyone is called to adopt or foster; however, everyone can play a supporting role. For every foster family, it takes 3-4 other families to fully support them. This could mean cooking dinner for the family once a week, offering to clean their home, watching the kids for a few hours, so the parents can have a date night. It could be as simple, and powerful, as prayer. The point is no matter how small, you can make a difference.

I encourage you to visit the Heart Gallery of America. You can meet children who are waiting adoption in your state. If you are able to attend a Heart Gallery, or Wait No More event in your area, please go. It will change your heart forever.