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10 Ways to Engage in Foster Care Apart from Parenting

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Most of us understand the importance of the ministry of foster care but are unsure of how to get involved apart from becoming a foster parent. Life circumstances may necessitate that being a foster parent is not possible for your life at the moment. However, we know that caring for children who are vulnerable is the Church’s call and responsibility. Below, we’ve listed ten ways that are essential and beneficial to foster families and children; they can’t and shouldn’t do it alone!

  1. Encourage your local child welfare department by hosting a luncheon for the staff, sending encouraging notes, or organizing prayer partners within your small group for specific local county workers.
  2. Ask a foster family in your church how you can help them. Offer specifics such as committing your small group to provide a weekly or monthly meal; cutting their grass; or picking up their groceries.
  3. Organize your church to host a foster parents’ night out in which children can come and play while the parents can have a date night!
  4. Ask a foster parent what is needed for you to be cleared as a babysitter for their children in care, and follow through with the requirements!
  5. Become a mentor for a birth family! Depending on where you live, there could be options for Families Count (link to this section of website) or through Safe Families (link).
  6. Organize a clothes closet for foster parents in your community.
  7. Organize a #StandforOrphans lemonade stand to raise money for Lifeline, and challenge others to do the same.
  8. Sponsor a Lifeline foster parent event such as the Foster Parent Retreat or Christmas Party.
  9. Organize a drive within your church for specific tangible needs such as gift cards or Bibles.
  10. Pray!

Foster care is a ministry in which families, children, and social workers need a strong supportive community in place to do the precious, hard work they do day in and day out. It is not a calling to one family but to the whole Body of Christ. How can you be His hands and feet?

For more information about Lifeline’s Fostering ministry, click here.