The Complicated, Beautiful Life of a Foster Mom

May is National Foster Care Awareness Month.

We’re honoring all those who have stepped into the world of adoption and foster care on our Focus on the Family Broadcast “The Complicated, Beautiful Life of a Foster Mom.” Our guest is Jessie Gallaher, who is with us to share her story, a difficult yet rewarding journey of adopting five children from foster care – all at once!

When Jessie and her husband first brought the kids home, a lot of people gave the same advice: “Just love them. Time will heal all of their wounds.” But Jessie and her husband soon discovered – as every adoptive parent does – that love and time aren’t always enough. You can’t anticipate the journey ahead. And things can go sideways quickly.

Jessie and her husband also discovered that when you follow God, His grace offers a way through your obstacles. Not just to survive but to thrive.

Adoption isn’t all roses. But it’s not all thorns, either. God wants you to trust Him to bring victory out of hardship. When things go wrong, a breakthrough could be on the horizon.

I encourage you to join us for Jessie’s honest and hopeful story on “The Complicated, Beautiful Life of a Foster Mom.” Hear it on your local radio station, online, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or on our free phone app.

I would also encourage you to consider whether God could be calling you to engage with foster care in some way. A lot of kids need loving homes, and you can play an important part. There are several opportunities to be involved. Adoption. Entering the foster system to make your home a temporary, safe, and loving place for kids. Or serving as a respite giver – helping foster or adoptive families with things like laundry, dinner, or babysitting.

There are about 350,000 churches in the United States, and there are about 100,000 children who are looking for adoptive homes. That’s one adoption for every three churches.

If you’re wondering where to start or just need more information, visit our website Wait No More (or call us at 800-A-FAMILY). We’ll help you learn what you can do to step into the life of a foster child in the name of Christ. We estimate that over 4,000 children have been adopted out of foster care through our Wait No More program.

For a monthly gift of $25 or more to Wait No More, a waiting child will be given a CARE PACKAGE with the following items:

Suitcase — not only is this functional, it helps a child make the transition to a foster family with dignity.
Teddy Bear — a cuddly toy helps children process their emotions and reduces stress in times of uncertainty.
NIrV ®Adventures in Odyssey Bible — this kid-friendly Bible helps children understand and apply Scripture in their daily life.

I’ll also send you a copy of Jessie Gallagher’s book, Many Thorns, Yet Still Roses: Breaking the Silence with Our Story of Sibling Group Adoption as a way of saying thank you for touching others with the love of Christ. To make your pledge, or for more information, visit our website.