National Adoption Month with the Matthews family

Parents, this is more of a call to prayerful action than an informational podcast episode - we get to hear the inspirational story of Tim and Kati Matthews, both staff members at Prestonwood Baptist Church and parents to three PCA lions. The Matthews have a moving and powerful story of God opening their hearts, through some difficult circumstances, to the idea of foster care and/or adoption. After giving birth to two biological daughters, that desire to adopt actually became a reality for the Matthews family as they welcomed J.J. into their family as their son. Listen as Tim and Kati share about the opportunities and challenges of adoption and the call to obedience to be available for God to use as He sees fit.

To find out more about fostering and/or adoption, check out the CHOSEN Ministry at Prestonwood at their website ChosenforChildren.org.  CHOSEN Ministry meets regularly at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. CHOSEN stands for: Christ’s Hope for Orphans: Supporting, Embracing, Nurturing. It is CHOSEN'S collective mission to raise awareness of the need for permanent families for orphan and foster children in the USA and abroad, while supporting families considering or who have already adopted, as an outreach ministry to engage people in the life and love of Jesus Christ through Prestonwood Church.

For purposes of providing a framework to understand foster care and adoption, currently more than 11,000 foster children are currently in foster care throughout the DFW Metroplex, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. However, there are only about 7,000 licensed foster homes, which leaves almost one-third of children in state care without a domestic setting to call home.

From the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services website:

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) oversees all foster care standards and requirements. These are some of the basic requirements for potential foster parents; find a complete list here.

• Foster parents must be at least 21 years old; potential foster parents working with Jonathan’s Place must be at least 23 years old.
• There may be no more than six children in the foster home, whether they are adopted, biological or foster children.
• Each child requires their own amount of space based on square feet.
• Children ages 6 or older cannot share a room with a child of the opposite gender.
• There are no set income requirements, but foster parents’ financial stability is evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

3+ WAYS TO HELP FOSTER PARENTS—WITHOUT FOSTERING

Being a foster family might not be for everyone, but there is something almost anyone in our community can do to help kids in need. Here are three ways to support foster families:

• Babysit and mentor: Whether through respite care designed to give foster parents a break or just for an occasional outing, babysitting can be arranged formally through an agency or on an individual basis. Mentoring at the residential shelters on-site at Jonathan’s Place can also be formalized with a background check and official inclusion as a volunteer.
• Give material resources: A foster parent spends an average of $500 on each new placement, according to leading statistics, as a foster child usually arrives without any personal items. It’s uncertain how long the placement will last, and foster children often take items with them. Items such as clothing, shoes, diapers, sheets and other daily-use articles can make an important difference in a child’s quality of life. A child often changes schools when he or she goes to a new foster home; for that reason, school supplies are needed year-round. Amazon.com’s wishlists and monthly donations are also easy ways to give.
• Sponsor a unique interest: Foster children are just like kids everywhere, with interests such as sports, cheer, music, dance and other motivating passions that instill confidence and build skills. Continuing with a previously-established routine through a series of classes or being involved with a familiar pursuit kids have an affinity for already can also provide a sense of normalcy to a child whose life is otherwise in transition. Consider sponsoring an after-school activity, purchasing needed items such as band uniforms or dance shoes, or coordinating a themed birthday party.

Another interesting note - The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services reports that 6,397 sibling groups in the state of Texas are currently in foster care. Of those, 33.8% of them are not placed together. The multiple losses a child experiences when entering foster care is compounded by the unexpected loss of sibling separation. As one foster care alumni shared, “Being separated from my entire life was bad enough but being separated from my siblings is still painful.”