Keep Kids First

Research Studies

THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM AND WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Research Studies

In God’s perfect design for the world, children were to be born to a mom and a dad who would take care of them, nurture them, and prepare them for adulthood…an adulthood lived in right relationship to God, to others, to themselves. Tragically, sin entered the world and as a result, children often experience dysfunction in their homes. Families are broken. Parents separated. Many children are victims of abuse and neglect. They are often exposed to violence in the home or substance abuse by their parents. As a result, many children enter the foster care system. In fact, more than a quarter-million children enter the foster care system nationally in any given year. On average, about 5,000 children enter foster care every single week in America.

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Opioid Crisis and Faith-Based Adoption and Foster Care Providers

Research Studies

Our country is the midst of opioid crisis. An average of 116 Americans die each day from drug abuse. In addition to this tragic loss of life, the epidemic is impacting children whose parents struggle with abuse. In 2016, over 92,000 kids entered the foster care system because of drug abuse by a parent, and the numbers keep increasing.

During this critical time, it is imperative to have as many people and organizations working to help traumatized children find a home and a family. Across the country, faith-based foster care providers are answering the call by recruiting and training families to welcome foster care children into their homes. But their ability to continue providing these much needed services is in jeopardy from government officials who seek to ban faith-based providers unless they are willing to act contrary to their religious beliefs. That is why laws that protect the freedom of all providers to continue to serve their communities are needed—to ensure that as many organizations are working to help the kids hurt by the opioid crisis.

Below you will find two resources that provide more information on this crisis and why it’s important to protect faith-based adoption and foster care providers from government discrimination.

The Opioid Crisis: Why we need to protect
adoption and foster care providers

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Opioid Prescription Rates And
Child Removals: Evidence From Florida

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The Role of Faith-Based Agencies in Child Welfare

Research Studies

Faith-based organizations have been a cornerstone of the child welfare system for decades, with many modern agencies tracing their roots back over 100 years. While the government has increased its involvement in the caretaking of vulnerable children over the past several decades, states still rely heavily on faith-based agencies (FBAs). It is common for states to contract with private child welfare agencies—including FBAs—for services like foster care, adoption, and recruitment of foster and adoptive families. Many communities rely heavily on the contribution and work of FBAs. However, in some areas FBAs have been forced to discontinue their foster and adoption services due to regulations that would require them to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs.

 

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