Awareness

Today is the final leg of our journey to discover what the Bible actually says about God’s heart for the fatherless. Over the past six weeks we have been studying the Hebrew word yātôm, translated into English as ‘orphan’ or ‘the fatherless.’    As we have studied how the Hebrew Scriptures use the word yātôm, four …

Let me tell you about a beautiful little girl. Within hours of being born, she was placed into foster care. By the time she was three months old, she had already been cared for by four different “mums”. Statistics tell us that the outlook on her future is bleak. 71% of girls who age out …

I love the movie Lion King. I think it’s one of Disney’s best animated films. And any fan of the movie will tell you that the most pivotal scene is not – contrary to popular opinion – when Scar convinces little Simba that his father Mufasa’s death was his fault.   The most pivotal scene happens after adolescent …

I hate letting people down. I hate that feeling of realizing that you promised to do something but failed to follow through, especially when it comes to my kids.   The other day I told my four-year-old daughter that I would take her to the park after I got home from work. She was really looking …

What does it mean to be blessed? According to Bruno Mars in his hit song 24 Karat Magic, it’s “Cuban links,” “designer minks,” and “Inglewood’s finest shoes.” It’s having “money in my pocket” and “so many pretty girls around me.” Endless parties, bottomless drinks, beautiful bodies and all the money you could ever want, that’s the …

When most Bible teachers talk about God’s heart for the fatherless, they all seem to draw from the same few verses (ie. Psalms 68:5-6; James 1:27). But the Bible – especially the Old Testament – is full of passages that disclose God’s heart for the fatherless. This is a problem. It’s like we have been …

I grew up with a deep love for the outdoors. From a young age, my dad would take my brother and me camping and backpacking. One year we were gearing up for a 50-mile backpacking trip with several of my friends and their parents in Lassen National forest through the beautiful Cascade Mountains of California. …

The cry of my heart and the work of my life has become to give voice to children and families experiencing foster care.  I am a biological, foster and adoptive mama and God has shaped our family in unexpected ways along this journey, as we’ve had the privilege of caring for children for a chapter …

This week is Foster Care Week in many States and Territories across Australia. Foster Care Week is an opportunity to:Celebrate the unique contribution of Foster and Kinship Carers;Recognise the work of Out-of-Home Care organisations;Stand with young people in care, full of purpose and potential; andBelieve for the restoration of families. Join us in praying for …

“We need to wake the sleeping giant that is the church in the foster care space.” When I first heard my friend say these words, something in me stirred. It was five years ago and part of a catalytic season for what was to become The Homeward Project.  Fast forward to last week when I …

Have you ever wondered whether your kids have selective hearing? Often you can ask them to do something and get no response. When my son Kaha was little, we applied a strategy recommended by a friend where he would respond with “yes mummy” to let me know he’d heard me. I’d say, “It’s time to …

You’ve heard it said, probably hundreds of times, that it takes a village to raise a child. Easy to say, perhaps harder to do. There are an increasing number of children entering the Out-of-Home Care system because their family of birth isn’t safe. Social isolation and loneliness are increasingly being recognised as a major issue …

Why does the church have a role to play in the foster care system in Australia? God desires that His people represent His heart, living as ambassadors of a different kind of Kingdom, one of justice and righteousness. The prophet Amos used some pretty strong language to tell people what God wasn’t interested in… religious …

We asked Michelle – an accredited Mental Health Social Worker with decades of experience in child protection working with children who have an experience of trauma and their carers – what advice would you give to someone entering into Foster Care? Talk to other carers to find out the reality. There’s an idea of Foster …

The outcomes for children who’ve been in Out-of-Home Care do not tell a good story. Regardless of the reasons for it, separation from family is a traumatic experience. This trauma is often compounded by multiple placements resulting from any combination of the impacts of trauma, ill-equipped carers, or decisions being made by a care system …

What’s the hardest thing about Foster Care? There can be a range of concerns for people when considering becoming a Foster Carer.  Being a ‘public parent’ can be difficult and the department decision-making process can be frustrating. Handling behaviours you might not have encountered before, navigating impacts on your biological children, and engaging with birth …