Saint Francis Ministries believes – actually, we know – that strong families make children’s lives better … because the fundamental feature of a strong family is love. Strong families nurture children and provide structure and safety in the home. Strong families communicate and discipline in healthy ways. Strong families provide food, clothing, shelter, and proper medical care for children. And all of these are manifestations of love.
So, it doesn’t matter what a family looks like, for families come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. And all families have their quirks. Just go to a family reunion to see what we mean.
Yet, despite their eccentricities, good families are powered by love. And we’re not just talking about families connected by blood or genes. If love is present, that’s a family. If the children, the elderly, and disabled members are protected and nurtured, that’s a strong family.
As it turns out, July is National Family Reunion Month, which makes it an opportune time to think about families.
Family reunions bring people together to spend time and share stories that connect us with the past. Our families root us, which is something children in foster care need – a place to belong, a place to feel rooted in something bigger than their trauma.
Good foster families treat children in care as they would their own. They give them a place to feel safe and welcome. They give them a family – if even for a short while – until they can return home or find permanency in another. And some foster families adopt, giving children in a care a place at the table, a leaf on the family tree.
What about you? Is there room on your family tree for another? If so, consider foster care or adoption. Share the love that makes your family strong with a young person who really needs it.
