Challenging communities to consider adopting or mentoring

Photo courtesy of CSallustio Photography

TAMPA BAY — We are experiencing times when children are being taken from their homes and placed in the foster care system at very high rates. The need for temporary placements is critical until permanency can be achieved.

One Church One Child of Florida is reaching out to families and individuals in local communities across the state in efforts to help share the truth that the child pictured here and more than 700 more like him are waiting for a permanent home, and or mentor. Many are minorities.

Can you provide a loving, permanent home for Joshua or other children like him, or even consider becoming a mentor?

Churches are asked to partner with One Church One Child in sharing information with congregations and extending Watch-Care Ministries to children. Rev. Beverly Hills Lane, state president for One Church One Child of Florida and vice-president for National One Church One Child, is challenging fellow pastors to get involved and encouraging families to open their hearts and homes to children in foster care.

These series of articles feature children located in communities across the state with no family identified to adopt them. Will you take the challenge of opening your home and family to parenting them?

September’s child was also highlighted in May; he too deserves to have a family. Do pray sincerely for him and consider making him a part of your family through adoption or a part of your church through Project Watch-Care, for support and mentoring.

Joshua, 11: Always game to try new things!

Joshua’s a sweet soul with a silly sense of humor. He’s wicked smart, does great in school — with all advanced classes — and can build amazing Lego creations from his imagination.

If he could have any superpower, he’d want to be able to change himself into an animal, specifically a cheetah so that in the event of an emergency, he could “carry all the babies on [his] back and run them to safety.”

This year Joshua learned that “everything is made out of atoms” and he hopes to one day be famous for his intelligence. With such an active, inquisitive mind, it does Joshua good to see new places and try new things. He’d like to be part of a family that’s on-the-go and involved in their community.

Despite all that Joshua has endured, he keeps a genuine smile on his face and an openness in his heart. He deserves to be part of an active, engaging two-parent home that can advocate for his education, support his dreams and encourage him to shoot for the stars.

If you are interested in knowing more about Joshua and other children in foster care available for adoption, or if you would like to become a foster parent, mentor, partner or volunteer, please contact LaKay Fayson, recruitment coordinator for One Church One Child of Florida’s SunCoast Region at (813) 740-0210 or lakay_fayson@ococfl.org.

For more information, please visit www.ococfl.org.