With newspaper headlines frequently declaring that there are more children than ever in the care system, and with high-profile stories of children who have suffered abuse or neglect, the issue of ‘looked after children’ is rarely out of the news these days.
But have you ever paused to think about what this means for your church? It’s entirely possible that in your church, Sunday school, youth group or toddler group, there are a number of adoptive parents,
foster carers, or kinship carers (for example grandparents raising their grandchildren). And it’s likely that they and their families are facing many challenges. There may also be parents whose children have been taken into care, or adults who were adopted or fostered themselves as children. This booklet aims to give you a window into the world of those who adopt or foster in particular. We also hope it will inspire you as to how the church can make a difference to some of our most vulnerable children and their parents or carers. The church can be a source of tremendous support for adoptive parents, foster carers and kinship carers, but it can also be a place where they or their children feel misunderstood, isolated or even criticised. This is what some parents and carers told us about their experiences at church.
Download Adoption and Fostering Guide for Churches PDF