by Kirsty McIntyre, project manager at Home for Good

This Sunday, 1 November, hundreds of churches around the UK will take part in Adoption Sunday by praying for vulnerable children.

Following National Adoption Week, which ran from 19-25 October, Home for Good is calling the UK Church to respond to the needs of children in care by taking a few minutes of services this Sunday to pray for children in care, the families that welcome them, and those that work to find homes for every child that needs one.

Churches that sign up can access a short film that shows some of the statistics for children that age out of the care system. There are 9000 young people leaving care every year – what happens to them?

22 per cent of female care leavers become teenage parents. 

24 per cent of the adult prison population are care leavers.

11 per cent of homeless young people are care leavers.

At least a third of sex workers, potentially as many as 70 per cent, have been in care.

38 per cent of care leavers are not in education, training or employment (NEET).

The permanency experienced through fostering or adoption can make an enormous difference to the social outcomes for children in care. Home for Good believes the Church has a key role to play in impacting the lives of the individual young people represented by these numbers, as well as the social justice challenges facing the nation.

A number of churches now mark Adoption Sunday each year. 

Yeovil Family Church have taken part for two years and have seen momentum gather as the church family has responded to the needs of vulnerable children. They have welcomed a number of children into the church as different families have adopted or become foster carers, and others have played their part in supporting these families. You can read more about their church story here. 

Will you stand with children in need of a loving home? Will you stand with families that foster or adopt? Will you stand with Home for Good and help us find a home for every child that needs one?

Find a church near you taking part in Adoption Sunday or sign up to pray and show a video in your church service here.