Adoption has been a politically charged subject since the Progressive Era, when it first became an established part of child welfare reform. In A Home for Every Child, Patricia Susan Hart looks at how, when, and why modern adoption practices became a part of child welfare policy. The Washington Children�s Home Society (now the Children�s Home Society of Washington) was founded in 1896 to place children into adoptive and foster homes as a means of dealing with child abuse, neglect, and homelessness. Hart reveals why birth parents relinquished their children to the Society, how adoptive parents embraced these vulnerable family members, and how the children adjusted to their new homes among strangers. Debates about nature versus nurture, fears about immigration, and anxieties about race and class informed child welfare policy during the Progressive Era. Hart sheds new light on that period of time and the social, cultural, and political factors that affected adopted children, their parents, and administrators of pioneering institutions like the Washington Children�s Home Society.

There are great rewards that come along with being a foster parent, yet there are also great challenges that can leave you feeling depleted, alone, and discouraged. The many burdens of a foster parent's day--hurting children, struggling biological parents, and a broken system--are only compounded by the many burdens of a foster parent's heart--confusion, anxiety, heartache, anger, and fear. With the compassion and insight of a fellow foster parent, Jamie C. Finn helps you see your struggles through the lens of the gospel, bringing biblical truths to bear on your unique everyday realities. In these short, easy-to-read chapters, you'll find honest, personal stories and practical lessons that provide encouragement and direction from God's Word as you walk the journey of foster parenting.

“A wise and experienced guide, Todd Chipman offers practical direction on how local congregations can do better in our quest to care for those Jesus calls ‘the least of these my brothers.’” –Russell Moore, author of Adopted for Life Your church is doing so much already. Trying to convince people to do foster care or adoption can feel like just another daunting, impossible task. It’s hard enough to get volunteers for the nursery, much less volunteers to foster or adopt a child! But what if we’re thinking about it the wrong way? What if orphan care actually increases your church’s capacity to do ministry? What if this one ministry opens doors to many others? Discover how orphan care transforms 6 key aspects of your ministry, meet dozens of families and churches who have experienced the transformative power of orphan care, and learn how you can get involved even if you’re not ready to foster or adopt. After catching the vision for this vital ministry, you’ll be ready to join them!

A sensitive picture book to help ease the anxieties of foster children aged 4 to 10 entering placement. In A Different Home, Jessie tells us her story of being placed in foster care. At first she is worried and has lots of questions. The new home is not like her old home -- she has a different bedroom, different clothes, and there's different food for breakfast. She also misses her family. When Jim and Debbie, her foster parents, answer her questions she begins to feel better and see that this different home is kind of nice. Written in simple language and fully illustrated in color, this storybook is designed to help children in care, or moving into care, to settle in and answer some of the questions they may have. Accompanied by notes for adults on how to use the story with children, it will be a useful book for foster parents and caseworkers, as well as social workers, teachers and anyone else working with children in foster care.

Tying in to a nationwide joint campaign by the Evangelical Alliance and Care for the Family, Krish Kandiah wants us all to take seriously Jesus's call to 'suffer the little children' by engaging with the needs of the many thousands of children up and down the country who are in care and whom the church could and should be helping. Krish and his wife Miriam have adopted and fostered children themselves and their experience - and that of the many others in this book - is very different from the popular myth which suggests social services seek to prevent Christians from getting involved. Krish argues that whatever the state's stance may be, it is a part of our calling as God's church to get involved where it's hardest, and to help these children out of the tough realities they find themselves in. Filled with stories from people who have adopted or were adopted themselves, alongside practical advice on how it all works and the challenges that will come, this book makes a compelling case that the church can and must make a difference in these children's lives, and asks us all to consider our response.

In 50 Things Every Child Needs to Know Before Leaving Home, Dr. Josh and Jen Mulvihill help parents put a plan into action to raise children to maturity in Christ. This book is a guidebook to help parents chart a course to holistically disciple their child to mature, godly adulthood while also functioning as a keepsake that will allow parents to capture milestones and memories associated with each of the fifty areas to give to a child when he or she is older. It's designed to help you establish a plan and be proactive for each season of your parenting journey in the key areas of your child's life.

At age ten, Peter Mutabazi ran away from home. For five years he survived on the streets of Kampala, Uganda, a city of 1.5 million, until one man saw potential in him. This man not only supported Peter through school but also altered Peter's outlook in every possible way. Since then, Peter has served as a relief coordinator during the Rwandan genocide, worked for the International Committee of the Red Cross during the Sudan conflict, emigrated to the United States, fostered countless children, and become a single adoptive parent. He speaks seven languages and has traveled to more than one hundred countries as an international advocate for vulnerable children. Now I Am Known is Peter's inspiring true story. In it he reveals the transformational power of taking risks, learning to forgive, overcoming self-doubt, breaking negative patterns, and believing in a better future marked by hope and purpose. *** "God met Peter Mutabazi in the midst of his agony, and he will meet you in yours too."--Kyle Idleman, bestselling author of Not a Fan and One at a Time "Peter's astounding and unlikely true story proves that if you remain committed and give it your all, great things will happen."--Sanya Richards-Ross, Olympic gold medalist and founder of MommiNation "A must-read for anyone wondering whether they can actually make a difference in this world."--Kelly Slater, American pro surfer and world champion "One of the most redemptive stories you'll ever read."--Jedd Medefind, president of Christian Alliance for Orphans