​Faith-Based Resources for Foster Care
“On Orphan Sunday, Christians stand for children who've lost the protection and care of family. We are a people called to defend the fatherless…to protect the vulnerable…to visit orphans in their distress. Each Orphan Sunday event is locally-led by a Church.” (https://cafo.org)

November 10, 2019 is Orphan Sunday

Below you will find downloadable instructions, links to prayers, announcement slides, bulletin inserts, and a link to order free bookmarks or schedule a speaker.​
We have partnered with Foster Palm Beach to provide many of the resources below to facilitate your congregation's involvement with the Foster Care System.

Please visit their website for information on how to become a foster parent as well as current statistics.
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Contact us to schedule a speaker or for assistance.  
Use these easy to share graphics on any of your web pages, social media, e-blasts, or newsletters. Please ask your members to visit #FosterPalmBeach's site to learn more via this link:  https://www.fosterpalmbeach.org/what-is-foster-care.html
Please like and share Foster Palm Beach's facebook and instagram posts about the need for more caring parents. If there are any quotes or images you would like customized, we're happy to help. Just reach out via our contact page

There are eight different foster parent licensing providers in Palm Beach County. Please follow and share their pages:  https://www.fosterpalmbeach.org/licensing-agencies.html 
Click on the links below to open various prayers and Orphan Sunday Resources:
Orphan Sunday Prayer Booklet
Orphan Sunday Prayer
Orphan Table Prayer
Three Part Series
God's Gift of Adoption
God's Heart for the Orphan
more resources from Christian Alliance For Orphans (CAFO)...

Additional Orphan Sunday Resources will be provided in Fall 2019
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Bookmarks Available!!  

Easily share a Call-to-Action with your congregants by simply asking for prayer. Click here for a sample of a bookmark which is updated semi-annually.

Let us know if you would like to hand out we'll get them to you.
Heart Gallery Images available

Photos of Real Children who need you Right Now!  We're asking that you display a Heart Gallery Image of a Palm Beach County child who has been cleared for adoptoin and is looking for a Forever Family. By concentrating on Prayer for an individual child, we hope to find someone they can call their family. Posters will be updated quarterly. ​
Preprinted Tearoff Flyers, Table Tent Displays, Posters, Rack Cards, and Handouts available
Special dates to keep in mind:
February = Foster Family Appreciation Week
April = National Child Abuse Prevention Month
May = National Foster Parent Appreciation Month
July = Summer is a great time to promote foster parent training (the need for parents spikes once school restarts)
September = Promote mentoring, especially with kids going back to school
November = National Adoption Month (host celebration & provider fair)
Orphan Sunday = 2nd Sunday in November (11/10/19)
What is Orphan Sunday?

A special faith-based organized day to celebrate adoption, foster care and global initatives that reveal God’s heart by being:
“A father to the fatherless…is God in His holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families.” 
–Psalms 68: 5-6 (NIV)

We recognize that we were all once orphans of sin that God saved through the love of His precious Son, Jesus Christ, and so we seek to mirror this love in tangible ways:
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” 
–James 1:27 (NIV)

Orphan Sunday is our opportunity to gather together as a local community to tell inspiring stories and grow a heart for orphans.

Oprhan Sunday is celebrated the second Sunday of November. ​Visit https://cafo.org/orphansunday/ to learn more.
What does WRAPAROUND Care look like?
  • An approved foster parent gets a call
  • They had hoped for a 2-4 year old girl
  • The call came with a 6 year old boy desperately needing a home, the foster parents said yes
  • Their church family has a POINT PERSON who reaches out to people on a JAMES 1:27 List with a simple email of needs. Clothes, meals, toys, and prayers.
  • In the meantime, other church members have undergone the background & training process to be able to be backups for transportation, babysitting, or advice. (the GRANDPARENT BRIGADE)
  • Success comes when an entire CHURCH VILLAGE wraps around a family willing to make the sacrifice of opening their home and their hearts.
  • As a mom or dad works toward reunification, the church family can try to embrace and empower this parent or parents helping to break the cycle of abuse and neglect.
  • An example of a young woman who needed more support, she has no family to help and often she doesn’t realize she needs help or doesn’t ask. She doesn’t know what parenting is like because she wasn’t taken care of herself. She doesn’t have patience because no one showed her the same kindness. Those little things, helping while she puts the pieces of her life together can be the difference between a family staying together and a family separated. But ultimately, the child in care’s safety and well-being is the primary concern.
A fabulous program in availble help you start this type of ministry called Live The Promise.

Locally, 4Kids of South Florida has set up Family Advocacy Ministry trainings and support to guide you through this outreach.

Statistics show that without support, 50% of foster families typically close their homes after the first child. With Live The Promise wraparound care, 90% of familes remain active  parents who foster many more children. 
There are eight different foster parent licensing agencies in Palm Beach County, two of which are faith-based: 4Kids of South Florida and Place of Hope. You'll find contact info for all agencies here: https://www.fosterpalmbeach.org/licensing-agencies.html