More than 1000 Florida children are legally available for adoption. A January “Wait No More” campaign in Fort Lauderdale hopes to bring that number down considerably.

Christian ministry Focus on the Family has been doing its part lately to focus people’s attention on the global orphan crisis.

In November “Focus” teamed up with Grammy award winning Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapman and FamilyLife to raise awareness of the 140 million children in the world who need homes. They’ve also been behind a Wait No More campaign where Focus has worked with US churches and state child placement agencies in three states to educate families about the adoption process.

Wait No More

That effort has led to 600 families to date who have started the adoption process with more expected to follow when the campaign travels to Florida in January. The next leg of the campaign aims to help orphaned children who are in Florida’s care find homes with more than one thousand currently eligible for adoption.

Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale will host the January 30th event at its church where speakers will testify about the orphan crisis and answer attendee’s questions regarding the adoption process. If families are ready to adopt, agencies present at the event will help families start the process.

Forever Adoptive Families

“Our message is simple,” said Kelly Rosati, adoptive mother of four and senior director of the Sanctity of Human Life department at Focus on the Family. “Florida’s waiting kids in foster care deserve forever adoptive families. No matter their age or special circumstance, they are precious to God and we won’t give up on them.”

The Wait No More conference is scheduled from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and no admission costs are involved. However, because free lunch and conference-related materials will be offered, pre-registration is strongly preferred. For more information or to register, visit icareaboutorphans.org or call 800-A-Family.

See Also — California Children Awaiting Adoption To Get A Helping Hand

Multimedia-Stock photo, Arinas74.

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Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14 | NIV)

You can make a difference in the life of a young child this Christmas. Angel Tree reaches out to neglected children, partnering with people like you to bring them a gift and hope.

No matter how adults choose to behave, if there are children involved, they often suffer far more then their parents, grandparents, and other influential relatives and caregivers.

Children whose parents are imprisoned are often scorned, forgotten, even abused, carrying around a burden that no child is meant to shoulder. Many youngsters internalize their problems, storing up years of hurt only to lash out in socially destructive ways later on, getting caught up in the same cycle of despair as their parents.

Angel Tree Shines Brightly

These children haven’t escaped the watchful eye of Prison Fellowship, whose Angel Tree program is busy trying to ease the burden for children of the incarcerated, by bringing gifts to them for Christmas and by making it easier for their parents to communicate with them.

“When Christians care for the children of prisoners, I think it’s a remarkable witness to the love of Christ,” said Mark Earley, president of Prison Fellowship. “Nothing can replace the love of a mother or father in the life of a child, which is why Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree shows these children that their mom or dad – even though in prison – still loves them and is thinking about them at this special time of year.”

Your Help Is Needed

According to the US Department of Justice, there are 1.7 million children in the United States who have a mother or father in prison. The Angel Tree program provides gift for these children in their parent’s name, but this year Prison Fellowship says that they still need 50,000 people to step up and help out.

For $35.20 a child can receive a personal message from his/her incarcerated parent, a Christmas gift, and an age appropriate children’s book that presents the love Jesus Christ has for him or her. If you are being led to help, please visit AngelTree.org or call (800) 552-6435 to find out about providing a Christmas gift for a child in your area. Keep in mind that Christmas Eve, which is this coming Thursday, is the last day that a donation can be made in time for Christmas.

Impacting Children For Decades

The Angel Tree program got started in 1982, and has helped more than 7.5 million children of prisoners who have received some 16 million Christmas gifts. Prison Fellowship sees the program as just a beginning, a way to touch the lives of hurting children, begin reconciliation with their parents, and bring to them hope in Jesus Christ.

Source: Prison Fellowship

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