Ways to Serve
Join our network of Support Services Churches and learn how to care for vulnerable kids and their families through a step-by-step model called Family Advocacy Ministries (FAMs).
FAMs create much-needed support for foster, adoptive, and kinship families in crisis.
As one of Fostering the Family’s Support Services Churches, your FAM can support vulnerable children and their families in one or more of these Four Ways:
PRAYER
A 2017 study by the Barna Group revealed that while 82% of Christians who pray do so silently, only 2% regularly gather to pray with others. Yet, in moments of national tragedy or crisis, we’ve seen people come together—uniting their voices in urgent prayer, crying out for God to move.
What if we treated the foster care crisis with that same urgency? What if we recognized it as the immense tragedy it truly is—a tragedy so great, a problem so big, that there is an undeniable need to for believers to join together and pray for God Himself to intervene?
We invite you to join Fostering the Family’s Annual Stand for Children Prayer Walk. Let’s come together, step out in faith, and lift our voices on behalf of vulnerable children and families.
TANGIBLE NEEDS PORTAL
If you are a church who is limited in volunteers but you have a desire to build a Family Advocacy Ministry, this level of engagement may be right for your church.
It takes a commitment, but the commitment level is flexible based on the capacity you have to serve.
Need ideas on how to serve? Download this infographic to learn more!
This level of engagement often utilizes our Tangible Needs Portal, a platform that connects families with tangible needs to people looking to help as they are able.
Fostering the Family enters needs from biological, kinship, foster, and adoptive families into our Tangible Needs Portal as we learn of them so volunteers can view and search for opportunities they have the resources and availability to meet.
Volunteers from your church or organization can sign up to be notified of new needs as they are posted.
This kind of tangible support is a transformational source of relief and strengthing for overwhelmed biological, kinship, foster, and adoptive families!
CARE COMMUNITIES
A Care Community is a wraparound support team of 4-8 committed volunteers who support a foster, adoptive, or kinship family and their children. This team provides regular and ongoing practical help such as weekly check-in calls, meals, babysitting, transportation, tutoring, help with chores, yard work, respite care, and more – whatever kind of help would be most beneficial to the family.
Your church’s or organization’s Family Advocacy Ministry (FAM) may have one or multiple Care Communities.
Did you know that 90% of foster families who have a Care Community are still fostering at the 2 year mark, versus a 50% drop off rate in the first year of fostering for families who are called but have no support?
GIVING
Do you have the capacity to give to our mission?
Whether it is a one time gift, corporate sponsorship, trust or will gift, or joining our Family Circle, there is a place for YOU to bring transformation. Would you like to join our mission and become a transformational giver to our vision?
Every time Fostering the Family partners with a church to raise up a foster family with a Care Community, more safe, loving, and long-term homes become available for children in need.
When you give, your donation provides the resources we need to continue helping vulnerable children in our communities.
HOW do you join our network of Support Services Churches and begin the process of building a Family Advocacy Ministry? Glad you asked!
The first step is to attend a virtual FAM Care Community Clinic or FAM Basics Clinic. Then, you’ll be ready to begin building a sustainable Family Advocacy Ministry in your church or community. Choose the date that works best for you and begin your adventure!
(Don’t let costs stop you – scholarships are available, so let us know if you need financial assistance!)
Bring a FAM to your church. What is a FAM?
A FAM = a Family Advocacy Ministry
How Care Communities Support Families
Promise Serves Resources
An Online Resource Database for our Support Services Churches with FAMs
By becoming a Support Services Church Partner with a FAM, you will have access to all Fostering the Family resources, training videos, event planning tools, and much more through our portal called Promise Serves!
Have Questions? Let's Talk!
Conctact our Director of Outreach and Partnerships, Susie Boyle. Alternately, you can submit a message via our contact form below and someone will be in touch with you shortly!