Wrap Around Care
Over the past several years, the Lord has been faithful to call many people from churches in CNY to care for vulnerable children. As people continue to step out in faith and participate in foster care and adoption, some significant needs have arisen. Foster and adoptive families are in need of resources and strong support systems. These needs present opportunities for the rest of the church to participate in helping to care for vulnerable children. Our desire is to build a wrap-around care ministry that would exist to equip and empower God’s people to come along side of adoptive and foster families through prayer, care and service.
Wrap-around care provides tangible ways of coming alongside foster and adoptive families. The hope of wrap-around care is that as the church comes around these families with support and care, the community will be strengthened and the calling on the adoptive and foster families will be sustainable.
We know that not every Christian is called to become a foster or adoptive parent, but we do believe that every Christian is called to care for the plight of the orphan.
"Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."
Wrap-around care provides various avenues for any individual or family to be able to participate in the Every Child Initiative. But more than anything, wrap-around care is a clear example of the members of the body coming together to carry out God’s redemptive mission.
Childcare
One of the most significant and universal needs in the area of foster care is free childcare. Foster families have unique and extensive demands on their time. Obligations such as court, Judicial Reviews, WIC appointments, doctors appointments, etc. put financial strain on foster families as they pay for childcare in order to attend these appointments. Being a childcare volunteer would help minster to these families as they manage these responsibilities.
(Requirements: Background check, church Staff/Elder reference, specifically for Foster Care you must be 18 or older)
Interested? Contact Us.
Resource Coordinator
Volunteering as a resource coordinator involves organizing, caring for, overseeing, and advocating for families that have brought in a vulnerable child. Resource coordinators work on behalf of the foster and adoptive families within their designated region. When a family takes a child in, the resource coordinator then does the work of finding out the family's needs (crib, clothes, booster seat, meals) and works towards collecting all that they can in order to meet the needs of that family. Resource Coordinators are also responsible to continue checking in with the families and making sure that the families feel cared for and supported. This is likely a year-long volunteer commitment.
(Requirements: Background check, Church Staff/Elder reference)
Interested? Contact Us.
Service & Meals
With so many various and specific needs, this aspect of wrap-around care is really wide open. Service could range from mowing lawns, helping with cleaning or laundry, handyman help around the house, or even assisting with construction for those needing help to make their home more functional as they bring in vulnerable children.
Bringing in a new child can be a hectic occasion. Something as simple as having dinner provided can help to ease the transition of adding in a new family member.
(Requirements: Background check for Service projects)
Interested? Contact Us.
Respite Care
This ministry involves helping out foster families who are in need of an extended break or are traveling.
(Requirements: Background check, chucrh staff/Elder reference, potential trainings)
Interested? Contact Us.
Mentoring & Tutoring
Mentoring involves spending quality time with a foster or adoptive child; building relationships, discipling, and working with the foster/adoptive family to be an additional support to them. Many children who come into care (adoptive or foster) are behind in school, making tutoring a vital need as well. Often these children have not had proper attention and care. They may also have been moved around a great deal and therefore have significant gaps in their education.
(Requirements: Background check, Church Staff/Elder reference)
Interested? Contact Us.
Donations
If you would like to make a monetary donation or to buy specific needed items for a family, you can contact us or visit our ‘Donate’ page.