A family who adopted five older siblings at the same time, found great emotional and material support from their church. The need for families for older children doesn't necessarily stop at our borders. Thousands of older children overseas wait for a family to adopt them. Families could consider teenagers who are about to reach the age of ineligibility for adoption, providing them with a permanent family they might not otherwise have. Churches can help with the costs associated with international adoption.
Churches can play other roles in promoting the adoption of older children.
A program in Cleveland, Ohio began the Celebration Youth Choir, a group of 15-20 youngsters who travel to churches in the area. The singers, ages 10-14, all await adoption. The choir doesn't just perform alone but with the other youth choirs at the churches they visit. They're all kids, they all need love, they all need families. Including adoption in the work of the church is limited only by our creativity and resolve.