Twenty Less

Oh my.

Somehow I have just stumbled across twentyless.com
This is powerful stuff. The pictures, stories and testimonies there could break your heart.

There are so many children in the world who need forever families.... Too many of them, if you ask me.
This particular website seems to focus on children in China... but there are so many others out there in different parts of the world, waiting to belong.

Some of them have siblings, some don't.
Some have different abilities, some don't.
Some of them may need surgery or special services. Some don't.
Some of them remember what it is like to be loved and cared for... and some don't.

When Mike and I started on our foster parent/adoption journey, we felt compelled to work with children in our local area. In our state. In our own town, maybe, or at least as locally as possible. That's why we signed up with our county's DSS office to become foster parents. Families in crisis may not have an extended network of relatives to care for their children.Through no fault of their own, adult choices and situations might force those children to be cared for elsewhere. We want to stand in that gap and care for kids at a critical time, when they need it most.

No everyone is called to be a foster parent or to adopt; however, as Helen Keller said, "everyone can do something."
I don't know what "something" looks like for you and your family, but maybe some of these links will help you start thinking about where you might fit in.

Who can foster and/or adopt? This site has requirements for each state in the US.
To find children in the US who are waiting to be adopted, please visit adoptuskids.org
You can search photolistings by state, age, gender, and number of siblings.
If you are interested in kids with special needs, go to ReecesRainbow.org They specialize in helping children of different abilities or situations find forever homes. They often have sizable grants available, to make it easier to afford a costly international adoption, and to more quickly facilitate adoption, especailly for those who have special medical or health needs.

For those who aren't in a position to foster or adopt right now, what can you do to help others? Can you donate to an adoption fundraiser? Could you start a clothes closet ministry for people in your area who are in need? Could you donate your time to tutor at-risk kids at the library after school, or become a mentor at a Boys and Girls Club, or Big Brothers/Big Sisters, or another community organization?

There are so many creative, meaningful ways that you could donate your time, talents and resources to make a difference in the life of a child.