In this episode I sit down with Crystal Ridley and Meg Scott to discuss the topic of foster care. Some of what we talk about may be specific to where we live, but a majority of it applies anywhere. And even if you don't feel called to be a foster parent, we spend time talking about the responsibility of the Church in the foster care system. So there's something for everyone.
Crystal Ridley is a wife, homeschooling mom, and current foster and adoptive parent.
Meg Scott is married, has two boys, and she is a regional coordinator for The CALL, a faith-based group which works with the foster care system in Arkansas.
Memorable Points:
What is foster care? - "It’s not about caring for a child that is a bad kid or trying to build your own family. It’s about restoration." As Christians it's our job to help restore the biological family.
What are some common myths of foster care? - Our goal is to get that child back into the biological family. “Foster to adopt…means you’re not working towards reunification.” We often hear, “We could never do that because it would break our heart. It breaks our heart too!” “If you’re not willing to put your heart and soul into this and have a broken heart for these children, then this may not be your calling.”
What are some of the joys of fostering? - “When you see a little child feel safe, it is amazing. It’s amazing to be a little part of that security.”
What does the Bible say about foster care? - “Take care of the orphans...These children are our modern-day orphans. One of the misconceptions is you have to go clear across the world to find orphans, but we have them here in our backyard.” “I think, [that scripture] was a command...Every single person, every believer is called. That calling might look different for everybody, but everyone is called.”
What is the responsibility of the Church? - “Number one is to pray...If we start praying as the body of Christ, we’re going to see big, big changes.” Every church should have some kind of foster care ministry. “There is something for every person in the church to do with foster care.” “It’s not the state’s job to care for these kids. It’s the church’s job…if the church was doing what they should be doing and reaching these biological families before it got to this point, we would not be in this situation now.”
How do we support each other? - “Sometimes you can start walking out this call that the Lord has given you, and you can start doing it in your own strength…When you remember where your power is coming from…it’s so much easier to do.” “Grace, grace, grace.”
How does foster care relate to the gospel? - “I need to be Jesus with skin on right now.” “Jesus gave his life for us and we were adopted into his family.”
Resources
Reframing Foster Care by Jason Johnson
The Connected Child by Karyn B. Purvis & David R. Cross
TBRI Training (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) by Karyn Purvis
The CALL (in Arkansas) or another foster care support group
Books We're Reading
Experiencing God by Henry and Richard Blackaby
Epic of Eden by Sandra Richter
Crazy Love by Francis Chan
Talking with Your Kids about God by Natasha Crain
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