Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO)

Wondering how to effectively catalyze your church on behalf of the vulnerable on Pure Religion Sunday? In our latest blog post, we’ve put together some thoughts around how to speak about God’s heart for vulnerable children and families, and how to inspire your congregation to take their right next step. Read more at https://lnkd.in/ed-YT9Fr

You want to see children and families thrive, and you believe your community can work together to fill the gaps that will make the biggest difference for children and families in foster care. But it’s not easy. Maybe you’ve tried some things before, and your community’s efforts to provide more than enough for children and families have stalled out. Efforts to work together to transform foster care often get stuck. Here are four of the ditches that may feel familiar to you: 1) The “Everyone Can Help Me Do My Thing” Ditch: Often, a person or organization has an idea (a great idea!), and the goal becomes to gather everyone else around that one project or program, crowding out true collaborative problem-solving. 2) The “Kumbaya” Ditch: Sometimes groups get together over coffee and bagels with the best of intentions—but two years of polite meetings later, nothing of substance has actually gotten done. 3) The “We All Have Other Jobs” Ditch: Everyone is already busy and overwhelmed, so the key follow-up meetings don’t get scheduled, great collaborative ideas you dreamed together die in an email chain, and the strategic next steps fall through the cracks. 4) The “Clique” Ditch: Relationships are crucial to getting stuff done, but efforts to fill the biggest gaps in foster care hit a wall when only narrow, existing circles of people are at the table to figure out what should happen next. The good news is there’s a way to avoid these ditches, working with others to create greater community involvement, build stronger relationships, and get better results for children and families. If you’re ready to move forward in your community, join More Than Enough, CAFO’s US Foster Care Initiative, for Unstuck: Transforming Foster Care Where You Live. It’s an interactive, two-hour workshop on November 13th where we’ll explore how to see real change in foster care. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eRsXzZWf

November 1 marks the beginning of National Adoption Month. Jason Johnson, Director of the Pure Religion Project at CAFO recently interviewed Pastor Jay Strother from Brentwood Baptist Church to discuss what discipleship in action looks like for his church when they engage in foster care and adoption. Read more at https://lnkd.in/eesVuCwQ

Ever felt a bit stuck trying to do something about all the “not enoughs” of foster care where you live? I’d love for you to join me—and other folks like you around the country— for a virtual workshop on November 13th where we’ll explore practical ways to get foster care unstuck in your community! Check out more details below, and register here: https://lnkd.in/gfxGNMqg

In 2020, thousands of children were rapidly reunited with family members when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Organizations faced expedited timelines for the reunification process, limited ability to prepare children and families, and restricted capacity to support and monitor families in-person due to lockdown measures. What we learned 2 years later in a follow-up study with 16 NGOs across 6 nations can inform policy and practice for the successful reintegration of children in residential care with family members. See the newly released infographic for further highlights from this study on placement stability and family support after rapid reunification in 2020. https://lnkd.in/epCTjPrm

Congratulations to the CAFO Research Center team and partners on their latest published research in Social Sciences journal! Read the full research: "Childhood Adversity and Life Satisfaction in Adults with Alternative Care Experience in 12 Low- and Middle-Income Nations: The Mediating Roles of Individual and Relational Protective Factors and Resilience" at the link here: https://lnkd.in/ePTMUX7c.

At CAFO2024 in Nashville, Tenn., Dennis Rainey and Bob Lepine sit down with Bishop W.C. and Donna Martin to talk about the amazing story of what God did in Possum Trot, Texas as recently seen in the film, Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot. They candidly talk about the hard moments and how God provided and sustained them. Watch their full conversation on our YouTube Channel right now: https://lnkd.in/ehD37Bjt CAFO has developed a free Group Discussion Guide to use as you process the film in community. Find Guide and more details at https://lnkd.in/e_mwNY9u

You want to see things change to help kids and families in US foster care thrive. Maybe you’ve tried some things before, but your efforts to provide more than enough for children and families in your community stalled out. So the stubborn “not enoughs” of foster care leave you feeling stuck and overwhelmed. Despite all your good work, there are still not enough resources, not enough support, and not enough families. What if you could get unstuck, working with others to create greater community involvement, build stronger relationships, and get better results for children and families than working alone does? Join CAFO's More Than Enough Initiative for Unstuck: Transforming Foster Care Where You Live, an interactive, virtual workshop where we’ll explore how to see real change in foster care where you live! Whether you’re a social worker, ministry leader, or a community advocate, this interactive workshop will equip you with: * A New Framework: Gain clarity on how your community can get moving, even with the challenges of foster care where you live. * Real-World Guidance: Discover insights from people like you on building lasting momentum—and on staying out of the most common ditches as your community works together. * Practical Resources: Find tools and fuel to help your community fill the gaps that will make the biggest difference for children and families in foster care. If you want to transform foster care in your US community, register for Unstuck on November 13th. And when you register five or more people, you’ll get 20% off your group’s registration! So invite some friends who are passionate about kids and families in your community to join you, and get unstuck together. https://lnkd.in/eRsXzZWf

In the story of Possum Trot, it just took one person willing to stand up and draw awareness to the foster care crisis. One person to light the flame and be the catalyst for an entire community’s transformation. Are you willing to be that one person? Host a private impact screening within your church, nonprofit or child-serving agency to stir up awareness and action to fight for kids in your community! And use the new discussion guide to help your group understand foster care, identify the unique roles they can play in ending this crisis and take the right next step. Learn more and sign up to host an impact screening at the link below: https://lnkd.in/gjYNpaxf

In Mark 4, we read the story of Jesus calming the storm on the Sea of Galilee. If the disciples had never followed Jesus onto the boat, they certainly wouldn’t have faced such a terrifying experience. But, they also would have missed out on seeing Him miraculously calm the wind and waves. In the same way, though following Jesus often means stepping out into a storm that we’re powerless against, it also means getting a front-row seat to His power at work in us and in our circumstances. It isn’t always easy, but we must be willing to get in the boat with Him. Read more at https://lnkd.in/ej4K3RUi