Local churches and multiple foster agencies gathered to talk about the lack of foster parents currently available in Lubbock. One Heart Orphan Care, an organization that connects churches to foster agencies, organized a luncheon to discuss the number of kids in the system increasing but the number of willing foster families staying the same. The goal was to get the word out about the need for foster parents to local churches.
“What we need is for families to say, I can do that,” said regional director of Child Protective Services Shawn Vandygriff. She hopes that meeting with churches about the foster crisis will help bring awareness to Lubbock residents.
Due to the lack of willing families in Lubbock, Child Protective Services started sending foster kids to other cities in Texas for them to have a chance at finding foster families. But Vandygriff said that’s not ideal since it takes the kids away from their school, friends, other relatives and their home city.
Two hundred foster kids are waiting for their forever families. And there are currently 1,200 children in the foster system in Lubbock.
“We’ve seen with this increase in the number of children that we’ve removed that we kind of, our capacity has just kind of busted. We have filled every bed we have in this area,” she said.
An adoptive family also spoke at the event and said that their adoption experience was “a wonderful way to give back to our community and to God.” The Murphy family adopted four school aged kids after what they said was a calling from God.
“His words were ‘it’s like we were meant to fit together.’ It’s things like that, that hit you and tell you we made the right choice,” Jessica Murphy said about one of her adopted sons.
Now they encourage others to become foster or adoptive parents.
“Don’t be afraid. Jump in. Even if you end up going through the classes and finding another way you can help, just take the leap,” Jessica Murphy said. “Try to figure out more information. It will lead you in the right direction. God will.”
CLICK HERE for more information on One Heart Orphan Care and how to get involved.
