Less Orphans - Part 3

Helping through Adoption without Adopting


In our two previous posts here and here, we have discussed international orphan prevention and US orphan prevention. There is a final way you can support vulnerable children, and that is to support adoption. You can do so by adopting a child, but you can also do so by supporting an adoptive family. 

“Support” does not always have to be financial. Support could mean that you volunteer to babysit kids who are already home while adoptive parents fill out adoption paperwork, have a stress-free, paperwork-free date night, run errands, or meet with home study agencies. When children come home to their forever families, support could also mean that you take their grocery list to a store to shop for them or you go to their house to do laundry or clean. Support could mean you bring them a precooked or frozen meal. There will be so many things going on when their child(ren) come home that a meal will be greeted with a warm welcome.


Financial support is also extremely helpful, particularly in both international and private domestic adoption, where costs often exceed $30,000. (I doubt that anyone would turn you down if you offered financial support, particularly those of us who have endured an extra-long adoption process.) Adoption is almost never a cut-and-dry process, as the parents who are adopting from DRC are learning. Usually, that means extra expenses will pop up. We HATE asking for money, but if you have some extra and feel inclined to bless others with it, adoptive parents would almost always appreciate a nice financial surprise. Many families often have accounts set up with non-profit organizations so they can even accept tax-deductible donations.


Lastly, advocate. Many people do not even know about orphan problems, systematic problems that create debilitating situations for families, or the hundreds of thousands of children waiting for families. Most adoptive families began their process as a result of learning about a problem that we didn’t even know existed in years prior. Once we learned about it, however, we felt compelled to act. That means the more we advocate for at-risk children and families, the more people we will have to help solve the problems that make them at-risk. Advocacy is a huge player in the fight against the orphan crisis.


Do you have experience, talents, knowledge, skills, extra time or extra money you can use to help in one of the ways listed above? You’ve been given those things for a reason, and you’re reading this post for a reason. You definitely don’t have to adopt to make a difference. Say yes to serving and giving to orphan care wherever you’ve been called.


-JL