When did Home for Good start?

In 2011 a desperate shortage of foster carers and adoptive parents in the UK made headline news, and several Christian leaders who were also foster carers or adoptive parents realised the potential of the Church to meet this need. So they committed to working together to raise the profile of fostering and adoption within the UK Church.

Home for Good grew throughout the next few years, consulting with foster carers and adoptive parents, church leaders and social work professionals to develop a strategy, and in March 2013 the Home for Good initiative was launched as a campaign run by Care for the Family, CCPAS (Churches' Child Protection Advisory Service) and Evangelical Alliance, before becoming a charity in its own right in September 2014

What do you do? 

We want to find a home for every child who needs one and we do that in four ways.

We inspire families to consider fostering or adoption by dispelling myths around the issue and by ensuring that vulnerable children are on the Church's agenda.

We equip families through resources and training programmes, along with information sharing and partnerships with other organisations to create a positive journey for those who foster or adopt. We also want to ensure that churches can be safe and welcoming places for vulnerable children and their families.

We support families with a network of champions, churches, local movements and online hubs which gives foster and adoptive families a place to support one another, and by enabling churches to better understand how they can be an excellent community of wrap-around support for expanding families.

And we engage Christians by collaborating, advocacy and ongoing learning to ensure that vulnerable children are a priority in the Church and in society.  

Where do you work? 

Home for Good works across the UK and is currently looking to develop the work in Northern Ireland and Scotland. We work with a number of voluntary adoption agencies and local authorities around the country who assess and train potential foster carers and adopters, and who match children with families who are approved.

How can Christians in the UK get involved?

Christians can get involved by committing to supporting families you know who foster or adopt, and by playing their part in ensuring that their churches are a welcoming and supportive place for families that foster or adopt. We are looking for churches who support the vision and want to be safe places for vulnerable children and their families. Adoption Sunday coming up on Sunday 6 November is a great chance to profile the needs of looked after children in church services and to stand with Home for Good in praying for looked after children and the families who care for them.

Our work is only possible because people give generously so if people are passionate about the Church caring for vulnerable children, financial giving is one way they can get involved.  

And of course, Christians can step up to foster or adopt. Anyone thinking about whether this is something God is calling them to can take a look at the Home for Good website and find out how to get in touch and explore the process further.

Why are you a member of the Evangelical Alliance?

Home for Good is a member of the EA because it is a network of organisations passionate about the Church in the UK being good news in society and is committed to bringing about societal change. Evangelicals have a long history of serving society and as a young organisation, Home for Good wanted to be grouped in this rich tradition.

As a member of the Evangelical Alliance, Home for Good is one of 600 organisations supported by the Alliance. We facilitate members' initiatives and campaigns and offer support to increase their impact and provide training for organisations on how to engage with the local government and media.

If you would like to become a member of the Evangelical Alliance as an organisation, church or individual, you can find out more here.