When you speak of giving life to a child, everyone thinks of childbirth. Presented are some of the other ways you can give life to a child.
There is no argument about the statement that if you have gone through childbirth, you have given life to a child, but I am here to tell you that is not the only way to give life to a child.
Have you ever seen a child wander aimlessly around your neighborhood because his parents are working and he is at loose ends for the day? Have you ever seen a child saddened and unsure due to long-term foster care?Have you ever witnessed a baby in NICU, shuddering and screaming because his crack addicted mother has passed her addiction on to her newborn, or a child in need of an organ transplant?These children are in need of the life giving breath only a caring adult can give.
Mentoring
A child does not have to live in your home for you to provide the gift of life to him - the life-saving confidence that only a caring adult can give. Mentor. Mentoring is normally thought of in the academic realm. Volunteering at a school as a tutor, or making presentations is a wonderful way to touch the life of a child. That's true - but mentoring can take place in any locale, under any circumstance - planned or by surprise. You just have to be there and be kind....Be the neighbor community children can come to when they are locked out of the house, to get a drink, go to the restroom, snag a cookie, or a quick smile and hug. Don't be shy! Contact your local school for volunteer information!
Foster Care
Do foster care! Many, many children in your community need homes - some short term, some to offer respite care for full-time foster parents and yet others, full time, long-term situations until their care-givers can safely take them back into their homes.
Regardless of belief, you do not have to be a stay-at-home parent to be a foster parent. You only have to have a bit of room, a loving compassionate heart and the ability to return the children you take in to their birth parents once cleared by the state.
For fostering, there is normally a small stipend you will receive for the child's needs, complete medical and dental care for the child and miles and miles of smiles for your efforts! If you are interested in foster care, contact your local Department of Family and Children's Services.
Organ Donation
According to the government website:
- Over 92,000 are waiting right this minute for an organ transplant.
- Each day, about 74 people receive organ transplants.
- 19 people die each day waiting for transplants because of organ shortages
To learn more fast facts about organ and tissue donation, go to organdonor.gov.
Make today the day you:
- Download, print, sign and carry a donor card.
- Say yes to donation on your driver's license.
- Sign up with your State’s donor registry (if your State has one)
- Discuss your decision with your family. They may be asked to give consent.
- Should you, as a parent, experience the unconsolable ordeal of losing your child, also consider organ donation to give hope to another parent.
Adoption
Whew! So many ways to adopt!
If you are a childless couple looking to adopt an infant, be prepared for a wait. You can go through a private agency to adopt an infant in your own country, (do a web search for infant adoption), or a private agency over-seas adoption. In any private adoption, fees, red tape and waiting lists vary widely, dependent upon the agency, the circumstances and other factors. Search for just the right circumstances for your family - and make sure you use an agency that everyone feels comfortable with!
Families who believe an older child would fit into their family can also go through a private agency, but there are many, many children who are wards of your state and are looking for good, loving parents. To find information regarding these children, go to your states Department of Family and Children's Services website and click on the adoption icon.
Many states now have an on-line picture book of the children available for adoption. The picture book in some cases can be ordered in hard copy and sent to your house on a monthly basis.
A wide variety of ages and races are in need of a home. States will at times offer small monthly stipends if you adopt a child with special needs to help take care of medical expenses.
Older children and family groups of two or more are always in need of adoption as well. If you adopt from the state, costs are low compared to private agencies. You might have the expense of a home study and then a name change for each child you adopt.
Opening your heart and home to children beyond your biological family will not be an easy decision. This is most certainly a family decision. Can you welcome children into your family and treat them as your biological children? Do you have the emotional stamina and support systems to help you through the rough times?
I can think of nothing more heartbreaking than parents giving up on children - biological or adopted. Just as the decision to have biological children should be one carefully considered and agreed upon, the decision to adopt should be more so. You will be taking into your care, a child with a wounded heart in need of healing.
There are many, many ways within the community to make a difference in the life of a child - to virtually give life to those lives you touch.
In return, you will receive the gift of knowing you turned the words mentor, mom or dad into a ray of hope for those who once had none.
Suite Parenting Resources:
Suite Adoption Resources:
An article about how adoption is shaping our family and some thoughts about special needs adoptions
Part one of a two part series dealing with the logistical and emotional impact of building a family through adoption.
Discusses many ways that adoptive parents look to spirituality throughout their adoption and parenting
