​It was Christmas. I was tired, sad, mad, and filled with every other emotion you can think of. But because I was signed up to be a parent helper at an event for my children's small preschool, I piled two rowdy boys into the car. The event included a free meal, and I was thrilled I didn't have to cook!

As soon as we walked in, the shenanigans began.  All the children were wild, which comforted me, knowing it wasn't JUST MY KIDS! It was awkward because my husband was on patrol, so I was single-parenting.  I knew no one, so I took a deep breath and courageously asked if we could join a couple and their young children.  No sooner did we sit to enjoy our meal than another mom joined me at the table. But to my dismay, I wasn't greeted with kind words but accusations of my son doing something she didn't like.  Instantly, my mind was hollow, and her words just bounced off the inside of my skull.  I stood up, gathered my children, and left the building before the tears of embarrassment spilled down my cheeks. It was then that I swore I would never interact with that woman again because of her aggressive behavior towards me and my children.

Fast forward to July.  Summer is the most fun with wild boys.  They can run and play, get muddy, and enjoy every moment as we all fall into bed exhausted at the end of a glorious sun-filled day.  Days in the pool are the best.  Everyone finds a friend, and they jump and holler and find new skills to be proud of!  

One day at the pool, I got lucky and made a new friend.  At first, she thought I was having fun with my grandkids, which led me to admit that I was an "old" mom and that these were my boys to raise.  As the conversation continued, I learned she was stepping into raising her young grandchildren.  I was in awe of how God knits things together, and I was able to speak about Project 1.27 and some resources that she could look into for support.  This time, I wasn't the one crying as the grandma wept at the poolside, thankful for our meeting.  We sat in silence watching our kids, hugged, exchanged numbers, and even communicated and connected at the pool together again.

The strangest thing is in one of our later conversations, I discovered that this grandma was the mother of the woman who raged at me seven months earlier! What seemed like a random encounter reminded me that I don't know the whole story of people or their burdens.  I have learned (again) that instead of setting a rigid boundary to never interact with "that aggressive" woman, I can now have compassion towards her and be a blessing to her family in ways I never dreamed of.  Thank you, Lord, for never giving up on teaching me things I need to keep learning!

This journey taught me the importance of encouraging and supporting one another. All parents need people to connect with them. We need people to help us find our joy again, have coffee with us, and not be afraid to enter our fostering world.  

By Lisa McGinnett, Western Slope Director

Nearly half of the children who are fostered and adopted are placed with families whose cultures or races are different from their own. When families open their homes and hearts to children within the foster care system, foster families need to learn and practice cultural competency.  Culture is a set of beliefs, attitudes, values, and behavior standards passed down from one generation to the next.  Culture defines what is natural and expected in a given group; it includes language, food, dress, styles of communication, and child-rearing patterns. Recognizing and adjusting to different expectations when children are placed in your home is extremely important when a child comes from a different cultural background.   It means recognizing and welcoming diversity, challenging your point of view, and handling discomfort when challenged with new ways of thinking. 

Often, children of color in racially and culturally diverse families have difficulty defining their own cultural and racial identities.  It's important for foster/adoptive families to have open discussions within their home about race; with a lack of communication surrounding race, a child could feel the family doesn't see their race. My son needed access to others who may look like him, to be involved in cultural events, and to have others within our lives with whom he could identify through his Hispanic heritage.  My best friend is Hispanic, and one of my supervisors at the time was Hispanic, and we had frequent social contact with both.  We frequented Mexican restaurants and celebrated Cinco De Mayo; he participated as a dancer in several Quinceaneras.  His school was very diverse, not only with students and teachers that looked like him, but like his mom and paternal family. He used 'Blaxican' on social media as his name, confirming he was finding and learning his way by exposure to both sides of his heritage.  

As I was listening to a podcast regarding Culturally Competent Care, what stood out to me was hearing young adults of multiple races, who grew up in the foster care system report their foster parents did not provide culturally affirming care. A young black woman reported not being taught essential hair care management.  The young adults also noted they didn't have access to adults, teachers, or mentors who looked like them.  They reported feeling the families did not accept them for their true selves. They didn't ask questions about their families, culture, or likes and dislikes. They were expected to join this family and fit into the family's current cultural environment.  Race is ultimately a part of who that child is; while accepting the child, you must acknowledge and talk about their race.  Children may believe that others only see and understand a part of them and their experience. While foster/adoptive families may discuss not seeing color or race, the world is seeing their race. 

Communication is key in caring for any child, and it's imperative for a child from a different race. Ask questions not only with the child placed in your home but also with the child's case worker, previous caretaker, biological parents, or extended family. As you provide foster care and your home becomes a racially and culturally diverse environment, here are questions for the child placed in your home or their extended family and additional thoughts and ideas to examine in becoming a culturally competent home.   

Some questions to consider: 

How does your family celebrate birthdays? Who gets invited, what games are played, and what are the music and food preferences? Are there any cultural or religious rituals centered around birthdays?

What is the importance of church or religion in your family? Does the family attend church regularly? What religious holidays do they observe? Are there certain foods that are off-limits due to religious beliefs?

What are ways we can care for your hair? Does the child know how to care for their hair, or do they have particular people who have helped care for their hair (hair stylists, barbers, braiders, relatives)?  Consider learning basic hair care yourself.   

 What does your social circle look like? Can you find activities, centers or groups with others who racially fit with the child? Children need to have relationships with others who look like them.   
  
By Marilyn Robinson, Family Care Director

 Adapted from: Cultural Best Practices in Foster Care C. Kimo Alameda, Ph.D.
 National Training andDevelopment Curriculum - Parenting in racially and culturally diverse   families

1996. A small church in the small town of Possum Trot, Texas.

It was unusual for the first lady of Bennet Chapel, Donna Martin, to even think about going to a foster care information meeting in a distant town, but as Donna was praying, she sensed God’s direction to open her home to children in foster care. After attending the meeting, Donna and her husband, Reverend Martin, became foster parents and inspired 22 Bennet Chapel families to adopt 75 of the hardest to place children.  

My husband and I were foster parents in California back then. This wasn’t a time when James 1:27 and caring for kids in foster care was a familiar sermon topic. I remember being told one of my foster daughters couldn’t be in my Bible Study’s childcare program.  It was only for my real children! The film, Sound of Hope, The Story of Possum Trot tells a story of what can happen when the church steps forward to meet the needs of vulnerable children and the families that care for those children.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TRAILER

Several things I appreciated about Sound of Hope-

• First Lady Donna fervently prays, seeking God’s direction as she grieves her mother’s death. When God points her in the direction of serving children in foster care, she pushes through several obstacles and follow’s God’s direction.
•  The film is raw and honest about portraying severe child abuse and the challenges of children who experience significant childhood trauma. The film is also raw and honest about portraying the struggles, successes, mistakes, miracles, failures and faithfulness of caring Christian foster parents.
• The thing I appreciated most was watching the church stick together in support of children and families involved in fostering and adopting. Bennet Chapel members prayed harder, dropped off meals, provided respite and encouraged the foster and adoptive families. The church turned toward the challenges, pushed through incredibly difficult situations and faithfully cared for the most vulnerable children.

Today, there are over 4,000 children in Colorado foster care. Almost 400 are waiting for an adoptive family. Just like in Possum Trot, there are also not enough foster or adoptive families available to care for these children, especially older children and teens, sibling sets and children who have experienced significant trauma. There is a need for churches like Bennet Chapel to step forward and care for these children.

What can you do today?

• Organize friends in your church to see Sound of Hope, the Story of Possum Trot this summer. Purchase tickets HERE to also support the ministry of Project 1.27’s friends, Colorado Kids Belong.
• Host a discussion at your church after a Sunday service or during the week. Encourage people to see the movie before that discussion time. Project 1.27 would be happy to be part of that conversation, sharing some details about child welfare in Colorado today and how members of your congregation can care for children and families right in your backyard. CLICK HERE to learn more

By Shelly Radic, Executive Director

​​May is National Foster Care Month. This month at Project 1.27, we are praying for all the people like you who put the “care" in foster care. In Colorado we need more families to foster and more people to care for foster families. So, join us in praying for more than enough families to take the first step toward fostering and for hearts to be stirred and encouraged to care for kids. 

Care looks like a single kinship grandmother who lost her job because she missed work when her one-year-old grandson was in the hospital with pneumonia. Grandma joined an ECHOflex group, connecting with other families for encouragement and support. 

Care looks a young couple welcoming toddler twins just weeks after completing their foster parent training.

Care looks like a Project 1.27 Neighbor dropping off monthly meals to a foster family reminding the family they're not alone.

Care looks like volunteers responding to a CarePortal request from a biological family working toward reunification by providing furniture and household items to prepare Dad's apartment before the kids return home.

During National Foster Care Month, we encourage you to pray -
·       For how you can care
·       For children experiencing foster care
·       For more than enough foster families
·       For more than enough volunteers to care for kids and families

Share this information to your church and community, encouraging more people to put the care in foster care.

Kids need families. Families need YOU.

By Sharon Bouse-Ferry, ECHOflex Director

If you're like me, you've had people ask about your foster/adoptive child. Why are they living with you? What happened to their parents? Are their parents drug addicts? Once, an older woman in the church asked me why anyone would want to raise someone else's child.  One of the most outrageous interactions was with someone who was determined to identify my son's father based on his skin color and features.  ​

Unfortunately, there are people who are naturally nosey, frequently cross boundaries, and have their own opinions, which they're quick to share.  People know boundaries regarding personal information such as income, family dynamics, and possibly even race. Still, they feel it's okay to ask personal questions about foster care or adoption.  

As we know, children in foster care have experienced multiple levels of trauma before even entering foster care.  There may be information they aren't aware of or are too young to know.  Family circumstances of a child entering foster care are held with great regard; holding that personal information close to your heart is essential.  When people ask insensitive questions about foster care or adoption, parents can experience a range of emotions, from feeling sad, angry, or completely caught off guard.  As you're feeling those emotions, think about the child who has come to live with you and is likely feeling the same way.  They may believe that they are in care for something they have done, and they may feel confused or embarrassed. They're already struggling with grief and loss and understandably have questions of their own, and then for strangers to start asking questions can be overwhelming.   Often, you or your children are caught off guard by the questions and astonished at how others feel entitled to information about your life or your child's. 

Just know it's okay to set your boundaries as a family.  Here is an option that may help in your boundary settings.  

W.I.S.E  
The response listed below gives children and adults four possible options for responding and provides families the power to control the situation - 

W=WALK AWAY or ignore what is being said.**

 I = IT'S PRIVATE I do not have to share information with anyone, and I can say that, even to adults (respectfully.)

S=SHARE SOMETHING about my foster care or adoption story, but I can think carefully about what I want to let others know.


E=EDUCATE OTHERS about foster care or adoption in general. Know a lot about it.

** (If a child is being bullied, it is recommended that they Walk away with an 'attitude' by saying, "Whatever."; "Who cares." This is said to discourage further victimization.)

Empowering Children and Parents to Cope with questions/comments about Foster Care and Adoption - Ellen Singer - LCSW

By Marilyn Robinson, Family Care Director

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Project 1.27 is joining the pinwheel campaign along with hundreds of other organizations, churches, and government agencies to plant or display pinwheels in remembrance of abused and neglected children. 

In 2008, Prevent Child Abuse America introduced the pinwheel as the new national symbol for child abuse prevention through Pinwheels for Prevention®. Research has shown that people respond to the pinwheel. By its very nature, the blue pinwheel signifies whimsy and childlike notions. Planting a pinwheel represents the bright childhoods we all want for children (Prevent Child Abuse America).
The Pinwheels for Prevention® campaign allows individuals and organizations to learn more about prevention, support children and families, and volunteer for “family strengthening” programs. 
​
Child abuse is a community concern, and it takes a community to work together to help families thrive and prevent child abuse and neglect. During April and throughout the year, communities are encouraged to increase awareness about child and family well-being and work together to implement helpful strategies that support families and prevent child abuse and neglect.

Project 1.27’s vision is “every child in a nurturing, well-supported family.” Our programs provide encouragement, support, and relationships to strengthen families and promote positive childhood experiences. Promoting positive family relationships helps build safe and nurturing homes for children. Support and Relationships are the heart of Project 1.27.

How can you help?
You can volunteer for one of the programs at Project 1.27, bring a meal to a struggling family, or volunteer with other agencies working to prevent child abuse and neglect. You can purchase a pinwheel or pinwheels and display them in your yard, church, or school, in the background of your virtual meetings, or share pinwheels on social media to promote positive families and raise awareness of child abuse prevention.

Every year in April, we recognize the importance of families and communities working together to support family well-being and prevent child maltreatment. Please join us in praying for the well-being of children and families in our communities
.
Children are a gift from the Lord. They are a reward from Him.(NLT) 
Psalms 127:3

By Bobbi Kline, Grants Manager