Develop a Foster/Adoptive Ministry That is Trauma-Informed

The Church has always been a powerful influence in families and relationships.
But is your church actively engaged in some of the most broken of families and relationships?
The foster and adoptive community desperately needs the church community. And they need the church community to understand children from hard places and the unique joys and challenges when parenting them.
Two of the most critical needs in the foster care system are needs that the church can meet. We don’t have to wait for changes in legislation or the state level. We can make a difference now.
What are two of the most critical needs for families and children?
- We need more foster families and people who support foster kids, families of origin, and foster/adoptive families. Church ministries can recruit new people to foster or be in a supporting role. This is desperately needed so that all children have a loving, healing home.
- We need foster families and people in support roles to commit for longer. About half of foster families stop fostering within the first year. Isolation and lack of support is the prominent reason families give for quitting. This is detrimental to the children living with those families. Church ministries can help retain foster families with support and understanding how kids with trauma need a different kind of parenting.
These two needs can be met right now by the Church.
Resources for Your Church
Ministry Development Worksheet
Use this guide to set a game plan for your ministry for the year ahead.
5 Areas of Need in Foster Care
Where can your church help? Read about the 5 needs.
Ministry Advocate Role Description
Read the description and commitment needed for a church ministry advocate.
Foster Family Roster
Give this pdf to foster/adoptive families at your church so you can match them with support teams.
Hear From Current Ministry Coordinators

“FHA's mission to educate, equip and empower churches to serve foster families and the children under their care has made a huge difference in the work we do with the Starry emergency shelter. We could not do what we do without the support FHA provides.”
“I knew our church needed a foster ministry but I did not know where to start. FHA’s leaders took me under their wings and encouraged and supported me. Our church just launched our new Foster Care ministry with 5 families starting training.”
“We were asked to facilitate an overhaul of the DFPS monthly Foster/Adopt Information Sessions, we immediately contacted Fostering Hope. We utilized their expertise to transform the multiple documents, emails, slides and videos into a presentation that would inspire prospective families to take the next step.”