Adoption: think carefully

Dear en,

The article ‘God’s heart for adoption’ by Dave Stone (February en) was both useful and encouraging. It contained good practical advice rooted in biblical truth and there should be more in our churches like Dave Stone and his wife who have taken the courageous decision to adopt. However, it is not the only way churches can be usefully involved with supporting vulnerable children.

It is correct that there is a shortage of potential adopters, particularly for children with more complex needs. But adoption is simply not an option for many children that are removed from their birth families. For example, adoption is not a viable option for a teenager, or it may be judged that a large sibling group be kept together and, due to the range of ages, adoption may not be suitable in those cases.