More Churchgoers Hear Encouragement To Adopt, Provide Foster Care

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BRENTWOOD, Tenn. — More pastors are encouraging members to adopt and provide foster care at a time when adoptions have declined in the U.S.

Lifeway Research study found more than 2 in 5 U.S. Protestant churchgoers (44%) say their congregation and its leaders are proactively involved with adoption and foster care in at least one of seven ways. A similar percentage (45%) say they haven’t seen other churchgoers or leaders provide any of the specific types of care or support, while 11% aren’t sure.

“Caring for the fatherless is repeatedly prioritized throughout Scripture,” said Scott McConnell, executive director Lifeway Research. “But the Bible does not pretend caring for another like your own child is convenient or easy.”

Personally Involved 

More than 1 in 10 churchgoers say someone in their congregation has provided foster care (16%), adopted a child from the U.S. (13%) or adopted a child from another country (11%) within the last year.

Compared to five years ago, fewer churchgoers say they’ve seen members of their church actively participate in adoption and foster care. In a 2017 Lifeway Research study, 25% of U.S. Protestant churchgoers said a church member provided foster care, 17% said someone adopted domestically and 15% said a member adopted internationally in the past year.

Adoptions and the prevalence of foster care have fallen among all Americans in recent years. The number of U.S. children in foster care dropped from 436,556 with 124,004 waiting to be adopted in 2017 to 391,098 with 113,589 waiting to be adopted in 2021, according to a report from the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System. Adoptions, both domestically and internationally, have declined as well.

Some experts have speculated, however, that the overturning of Roe v. Wade will result in increased strain on the foster care system and additional children in need of adoption. In a Lifeway Research study conducted just prior to the Supreme Court’s decision on abortion rights, around 3 in 4 Americans (74%) said churches and religious organizations in states that restrict access to abortion have a responsibility to increase support and provide options for women who have unwanted pregnancies.

“It is likely the pandemic limited some families in considering foster care or adoption,” said McConnell. “But the need is still great in the U.S. and could grow larger in states with abortion restrictions.”

Churchgoers in the parenting age range are often more likely to say they’ve seen someone in their church step up in these areas in the past year. Those 18-34 (19%) and 35-49 (22%) are more likely than those 65 and older (10%) to say someone in their congregation has provided foster care. Churchgoers 35-49 (16%) are twice as likely as those 50-64 (8%) and 65 and older (9%) to say someone at their church adopted internationally, while those 18-34 (19%) and 35-49 (20%) are twice as likely as those 50-64 (10%) and 65 and older (8%) to have seen a domestic adoption in their church within the last year.

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Aaron Earlshttp://FactsAndTrends.net
Aaron Earls is a writer for Lifeway Christian Resources. In operation since 1891, Lifeway Christian Resources is one of the leading providers of Christian resources, including Bibles, books, Bible studies, Christian music and movies, Vacation Bible School and church supplies, as well as camps and events for all ages. Lifeway is the world’s largest provider of Spanish Bibles. Based in Middle Tennessee, Lifeway operates as a self-supporting nonprofit. For more information, visit Lifeway.com.

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