WHY?

-Because a little girl who always looked out the window was noticed by a neighbor. When she wasn't seen by the neighbor for quite some time, the neighbor called CPS. When they showed up they found a mom and two boys. They asked if a girl lived there. Mom said, "yes, she's in the closet." She was found in the closet, bug infested, lying in the fetal position next to a pile of dirty diapers... totally dissociative. She was mentally and emotionally still an infant, even though she was about 6 years old. CPS took her and placed her with a family who, through some very hard times, was patient with her and she is now making progress, but she'll never catch up to her age. BTW, the two boys remained with mom as part of 'deal' made with mom to voluntarily terminate her rights to that girl.

-Because there is an 8 yr. old boy who runs. He runs out of class at school, the teachers chase him. He runs away from his foster home and his parents chase him. He doesn't run because he is quirky or a bad kid. He runs because he has no coping skills to allow him to deal with the abuse and neglect he suffered in an appropriate manner. No kid does.

-Because a 7 year old boy in foster care right now is so afraid of the bathroom door being closed that his parents can't close the door. Because another boy has a phobia of the shower and his 'dad' has to sit outside the shower and coach him through it.....or he just takes a bath. Because some of the kids hoard food because they are so afraid they'll run out. I guess we don't have to wonder how these phobias get started.

-Because these kids need foster parents or adoptive parents who won't say "this is too much to deal with, you have to move."

-Because these kids are grieving. They were removed because of sexual abuse. They were removed because they were neglected by parents who actually want to keep them despite the inability to care for them or provide.

-Because most kids in the CPS system weren't simply given over because their parents recognized they couldn't care for them as well as someone else could.

-Because families like YOURS are the BEST place for these kids. Because you understand unconditional love. Because they can see how appropriate child/parent relationships work by seeing you with your kids.

-Because Christ loved you and pardoned you and changed you and your changed life can change their lives.