Five ways we can all #SupportAdoption

For National Adoption Week 2016 the theme is #SupportAdoption, which is something we are hugely passionate about. We want to encourage and equip you to do all you can to practically and prayerfully support adoptive families and adopted children and we’ve written this list for individuals who want to support, and this one for church leaders to give you some ideas for how to do this.

But this list is different. Supporting families is hugely significant and much-needed and we will always urge you to do this as much as possible, but there are also things you can do to #SupportAdoption in a broader sense.

Home for Good believes in adoption and we believe it can be life-changing for many children.

When a child cannot remain with their birth family we believe that adoption can offer stability and security, and be utterly transformative and restorative for the child. We also believe in the power of foster care, kinship care and special guardianship, and we recognise that each child and their situation is unique. Our hope is that decisions would always be made in the best interests of the child and that all children would have the opportunity to flourish within a loving family.

We know that not everyone can or should adopt, but we would encourage all individuals and families to consider how adoption could be a part of their lives. If you are wondering about adopting, find out more here.

But everyone can #SupportAdoption, and here’s five suggestions for how you can.

1. Get informed and stay informed.

Why not commit to reading a book about adoption to become more informed about it? We would recommend No Matter What by Sally Donovan and Our Adoption Journey by Jayne Lilley as inspirational first-hand accounts of building adoptive families, and if you haven’t already read it, the Home for Good book is informative and gives the theological framework for adoption. For more ideas, explore the range of books recommended by CoramBAAF.

But the adoption landscape is ever-changing and processes and priorities are regularly updated, so to stay informed you could follow Adoption UK, CoramBAAF, First4Adoption, or After Adoption on Twitter – and Home for Good too of course!

2. Think about adoption and let that thinking shape how you speak and act.

It is human nature to focus primarily on things we have experienced and things we have prior knowledge of, so it could well be that you’ve never really thought about adoption – and that’s ok. But whether or not adoption has ever crossed your mind before, why not give it some thought now…

Think about the hope that adoption can offer to vulnerable children, the way it can bring joy to families, the way it echoes and embodies the adoption into God’s family that all Christians experience.Think about the challenges that adoptive families and children will face to overcome trauma, work through struggles, reconcile past experience with future possibility.Think about the circumstances that might lead to a child needing adoption, the pain they have endured and the loss they have suffered – and also consider the experiences of birth parents and birth families.

Having thought about these things, consider where you could say or do things differently to recognise all of this. Could you talk about adoption more in your networks, your church or on social media? Could you use more inclusive language, be more open or sensitive, or speak more positively?

3. PRAY!

Let your thinking lead to prayer for vulnerable children, for adoptive families, birth families, foster carers, your local authority, adoption agencies, social workers, organisations engaged with adoption at every level, children waiting for an adoptive home, and for more people to consider adoption.

4. Encourage your church to also #SupportAdoption.

Ensure that your church is safe, sensitive and welcoming to adoptive families through excellent child protection, inclusive language and an openness to understand and support (our other articles could help with this). Preach and teach the positive story of our own adoption into God’s family and the Biblical framework for hospitality and family. Take part in Adoption Sunday this November or help your church to engage with our Christmas campaign (or both!).

Where possible, you could offer your church building free of charge to your local authority or local groups for adoption information sessions, preparation training or adoptive family support groups.

5. Give time, skills or things.

Think creatively about what and where you could give. Some adoption agencies will welcome good quality toys for their family rooms or waiting areas. Local authorities might need volunteers to help them run events or support groups (you will likely need to have training and a DBS check for this). Prospective adoptive families might need help renovating or redecorating their home to make it ready, and once they have been matched with a child (or children) they might need new furniture, toys, clothes or equipment.

If you feel able to, you could give to Home for Good through becoming a champion or Home for Good church, or you could fundraise for us or support us financially.

However you feel able to #SupportAdoption for National Adoption week and in the months and years to come, we are so grateful. Thank you.