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The definition of thanksgiving is the expression of gratitude, especially to God. At Buckner, Thanksgiving is a divine reminder of how many incredible people have blessed our ministry – from the hardworking volunteers who selflessly serve families in need to our staff who give their hearts and souls to protect children and strengthen families and to the gracious donors whose funding makes our mission possible. We are especially grateful this time of year because November is National Adoption Month

This national month of awareness gives us and other foster care and adoption agencies a megaphone to educate people around the United States about the dire need for loving foster care and adoptive families. Today there are 111,820 children waiting to be adopted in the United States, according to the Children Alliance for Orphans. There are almost 30,000 children in Texas who are either in foster care or kinship care. We are so thankful to God for placing foster care and adoption on the hearts of all the families who walk with Buckner in providing loving homes for children in need. 

“We started researching what would adoption look like. We attended a Buckner information meeting. After a lot of prayer, the Lord just totally rocked our world," said Jennifer Perez, a Buckner foster-to-adopt parent. "He made it so clear that yes, we were called to foster, we were called to adopt. God just said ‘Look, you’re not doing this to gain children for your own family, you’re doing this to give your family away to a child.’” 

Our founder, R.C. Buckner, saw the orphan crisis following the Civil War and felt led by God to do something to help so he created Buckner Orphans Home in 1879. While we no longer have orphanages in the United States, his legacy forged the path to the foster care and adoption programs we know today. 

“I think a lot of people assume, to be a foster parent you’re some kind of super-parent. You will never be good enough," said Tory Setliff, a Buckner foster-to-adopt parent. "You’ll only be made good enough by God to go through this process. That’s a beautiful process in itself.” 

If you feel called to foster or adopt, we encourage you to attend a Buckner information meeting to learn more about the process and requirements of becoming a foster care and adoptive parent. You can find a list of upcoming information meeting at each of our locations on our website: https://www.buckner.org/foster-care-adoption/events.

We understand not everyone is called to be a foster care or adoptive parent but there are many other ways to help foster and adoptive families. We pray God shows you where you are called to help whether through respite care, making meals for foster or adoptive families, praying for foster and adoptive children and families, getting your church involved and more. Learn more about how you can help here.

This Thanksgiving, we are thankful for you and for all you do to help foster and adoptive children and families. 

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