by Lisa Steele, FLM Executive Director

en Español

Most children are placed in orphanages or residential homes because of poverty. Most are not “true orphans.” The majority of these children have a surviving parent or a close member of their family who could take care of them if they could afford to do so. At Family Life Missions, we know when we strengthen families, we are helping them stay together.

Many children can stay with their families with the right resources and tools. Keeping families together is better for the children, reduces the number of children in orphanages and residential homes, is more cost-effective (the cost of supporting a child in an orphanage is 5-10 times higher than supporting a child in a family), and most importantly, honors God.

God created the family. He knows that children need love, a sense of belonging, and a connection to the community and church. When we help children within families access education, food, shelter, and trauma therapy, we partner with God.

 

We are seeing the fruit of family preservation in the lives of Erick, Selvin, Juan, Marian, Jossela, Carlitos, and many others. We are doing this by providing parenting and nutrition workshops, school scholarships, foster care training, and “Building Dreams” through our home improvement program with the help of our supporters and by following the path God has put before us. We invited our reintegrated children and families to our recent FLM Christmas party for our PLN children. It was a beautiful reunion!

Family Preservation is not quick. It is not easy. But it is beautiful when we see vulnerable children living in a healthy, Christian home through reintegration, kinship care, foster care, and adoption.

Will you join us as we partner with God to place the lonely in families?

May God bless you and your family this Christmas season!