In my last post about foster care I finished with these words:
‘The untold stories of children in care break my heart.
But they must break Christ’s even more. And this is why we who follow him need to respond to the issue of foster care.’

What exactly does this mean? Does it mean every Christian must sign up and become a foster carer?
No, I don’t think so. Some families are able to provide this sort of care, others are not – for any variety of reasons. So, although I do believe families who love Jesus have something unique and special to offer a child in need, I don’t believe we are all called to be full time carers. There are many other ways people can respond to the issue of foster care. Here are some ideas:

* Foster a foster family.
Provide support and encouragement to a family you know that has welcomed another child into their home. Especially in the first year of fostering, there will be many practical ways to help out ranging from meals to gifts of clothing or furniture. Later on, support may involve being a listening ear that doesn’t need all the details and acknowledges unspoken, hard to express challenges.

 * Donate to a foster agency.
This is an easy financial way of supporting kids in care, by supporting the agencies looking after them. Donations may be financial, but they could also be experiential – tickets to shows, Christmas gifts, emergency accommodation etc. Contact your favourite agency and see what they might need.

* Learn about foster care.
Especially if you are in a teaching or leadership role, it’s a great help to children in care and their families if you understand the basics about foster care. This will help you know which questions to ask, which ones not to ask, and will give you the heads up to potentially difficult issues the children in your programs might be facing.

* Consider doing respite care.
If your family situation allows it, you may be able to offer a foster child (and their family) some respite care. Often times you will need to be trained and approved as a carer to do this. Respite carers are able to support children in care (and their foster families) by being an occasional weekend away. This allows the long term care relationships space and refreshment, as well as giving you the opportunity to be another positive, loving, person in the child’s life.

* Pray for children in care.
If you know of a family with foster children, prayerfully consider committing to pray for those children. Children in care bring with them a history that many times cannot be discussed with you, but will deeply impact their life, healing and identity. Ask carers for dates of birth family contact visits (no other information is necessary) and pray in the time leading up to, during and after these events. Ask also for other specific prayer points, but don’t require intimate details (and let those you ask know you don’t require any more information than they are able to give – this take the pressure of expectations off). God knows the details, all you need to do is surround these children and their families (both birth and foster) in prayer.

I’d love to hear of other ideas, maybe things you’ve done or heard of, to support children in care! Please share your suggestions in a comment below,

Penny