Orphans
DEFENDING VULNERABLE CHILDREN
The vulnerability of children, particularly orphans, remains acute in many countries and communities globally. What can be done?
18 million children worldwide have lost both parents.
This is the worldwide conservative estimate according to UNICEF. It doesn’t account for children whose parents are unable to parent them or for children who have just one parent. While child mortality and nutritional rates have improved in most every nation, defenseless children are the most at risk of violence, abuse, starvation, disease, and abandonment.
Orphans and vulnerable children face seemingly insurmountable odds of obtaining a healthy and stable life as adults if they are not supported and surrounded by a loving family.
In the United States, 50% of the homeless, 60% of child sex trafficking victims, and over 75% of the prison population spent time in foster care.
For the Church, serving these children starts with equipping and surrounding biological families facing crisis. 76% of children in the foster care system in the United States are removed from their homes for preventable, poverty-related issues.
How can the Church serve these families and vulnerable and orphaned children?
“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” James 1:27
David Platt, author of Radical, shares about his journey and how God called his family to be a part of solving this problem.
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27,000 Children Age Out of U.S. Foster Care Every Year Only to Face a Bleak Future
In the United States, about 10% of children in the foster care system will age out each year, These 27,000 children face a daunting future. Over a third of these young people will experience homelessness as adults. About 6% of these young people will obtain a college degree in their lifetimes. And, 60% of the young men who age out will be incarcerated.
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Raising Highly Capable Kids
With an evidence-based, 13-week parent training program, Rezilient Kidz brings critical training to vulnerable families through police departments, public school systems, and youth and family centers, helping to pull families back from the brink.
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Why Preventing Foster Care in the U.S. Might Be the Best Course of Action
A new wave of Christian ministries have been founded with the intention of supporting vulnerable families facing losing their children for preventable reasons. These ministries surround at-risk families with churches and community to help keep them together.
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NBA Star Steph Curry and Actress Letitia Wright Produce Adoption Documentary
Possum Trot is the remarkable story of a rural black church in east Texas where 22 families adopted 77 children. Produced by NBA star, Steph Curry, and actress, Letitia Wright, comes to theaters in 2024 and aims to “reverse the foster care crisis” in the United States.
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Take action. Change lives.
Below you’ll find some of the best-in-class organizations that are caring for orphaned children. These organizations are trustworthy, effective and innovative. In a world full of choices, we want to make the complex accessible. So, we invite you to explore them and consider giving and investing. Or you might consider building your own venture.
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What two words define the U.S. foster care system...
"Not enough." Not enough families. Not enough resources. Not enough support. But Christian Alliance for Orphans knows "more than enough" is possible. CAFO is bringing Christians together in a rare model of unity in the full continuum of response to vulnerable children worldwide. They equip local churches NGOs and advocates to provide support to adoptive/foster families and to vulnerable children.
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Who is the Uber of the U.S. foster care system...
Careportal. This innovative company is connecting technology that drives action for local children and families in crisis, much like ride-sharing services. Children-serving professionals submit needs into Careportal's online platform. Nearby churches and communities are alerted and then collaborate to ensure that the child and family is helped.
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Who could stop 7 out of 10 children from being removed from their homes...
Mothers. That's why ĒMA is advocating for moms in crisis—to preserve their families. They pair moms at-risk of losing their children into foster care with Care Coordinators and Advocates who give them the support they need so every mother can thrive and families can stay together.
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What if we could support biological families before kids were removed...
Project 1.27 is doing just that in Colorado. About 8 children enter foster care every day in CO. There are not enough homes for these children and a lack of support for biological, kinship, foster and adoptive families. Project 1.27 is not only reducing the number of children entering foster care by supporting biological families, but also training and equipping foster and adoptive families to care for these children.
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What percent of orphans actually have family they can be reunited with...
80% of orphans have loving relatives they can be restored to. That's a huge percentage. And that's why the goal of 1MillionHome is always family first. Their lead programs transform orphanages away from housing the same kids indefinitely, and toward rehabilitating and reuniting new kids every quarter. Every 1 orphanage they fully transform can help hundreds of children get home—every year.
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TrustBridge Giving Space
Keep discovering vetted opportunities at TrustBridge Giving Space, which helps donors send money to charities around the world.
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What's like Shark Tank for faith-driven entrepreneurs without being cutthroat...
The Faith Driven Investor Marketplace. This platform is a free tool for accredited, faith-driven investors looking to put capital to work. Funds and deals that go on the platform are at the discretion of a group of faith-driven investors with experience ranging across all different asset classes. Whether a multi-million dollar real estate venture or a small business, concessionary capital or a high financial return profile, Marketplace connects investors and entrepreneurs.
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What percent of South African children live below the poverty line...
62.1%, according to Statistics South Africa. Black children and orphans are especially at risk, with 68.3% and 77.3% living in poverty, respectively. The Tree of Life Foundation, powered by SAAD Investment Holdings, is planting the seed of change by opening donor-advised funds for Christian organizations seeking to uplift African society’s most vulnerable children with investments in 49 charities and counting.
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How does one maximize ROI in a way that goes beyond financial returns...
By investing with a cause, which takes on a whole new meaning with Life Bridge Capital (LBC). Life Bridge is a leading real estate syndication company offering their investment partners the opportunity to leverage shares of multifamily rental properties into a passive monthly income. LBC gives 50% of its profits to orphans and their adoptive families. Through LBC, investors can not only receive exceptional returns financially but also change the lives of orphans and their adoptive families.
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What if Christian entrepreneurs didn't have to be alone...
Now, they don't have to be. Faith Driven Entrepreneur helps Christ-following entrepreneurs find their community and fulfill their God-given call to create. They do this by providing inspiring content and sparking meaningful connections between like-minded entrepreneurs and investors.
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What's wrong with doing things right...
It’s not enough. The ethical way says, “I win, you win.” But the redemptive way says, “I sacrifice, we win.” To this end, Praxis is a venture-building ecosystem advancing redemptive entrepreneurship. They support founders, funders, and innovators motivated by their faith to address the major issues of our time.
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What is limiting to a leader's potential...
Isolation. Faith-driven, results-minded CEOs and executives meet in C12 Business Forums monthly to encourage and challenge one another. These groups of peers work together to make better decisions, avoid costly mistakes, and create solid plans for business growth, all while striving to create eternal impact far beyond the bottom line.
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What happened to the family macademia nut business...
Sinapis' business training turned this business on the brink of failure into a source of livelihood for Kenyan workers. Sinapis provides training, ongoing opportunities ,vibrant community, and faith-based principles to Christian entrepreneurs in Africa, Asia, and Central America. Its alumni report an average increase of 138% in revenue 1 year after graduation.
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What percent of startups fail...
90%. One out of 10 startups fail within the first year. And most of them fail due to avoidable mistakes. Founders navigating potential pitfalls on their own is hard, though. OCEAN is a training community for entrepreneurs that integrates practical business skills with biblical wisdom so that entrepreneurs can start and lead a sustainable business without the pressure of figuring it out alone.
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What if you had to leave your kids for 2,555 nights...
This is the reality for many Filipinos who leave to their families to build a brighter future for their kids. What if they didn’t have to? Dream Bigger Ventures empowers Filipino Founders to grow as leaders who will have the character, community, and competency to solve seemingly impossible problems with sustainable ventures.
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What does "ziwani" mean in Swahili...
"At the lake." In the same vein, the nonprofit Ziwani represents a place of refreshment, community, and commerce for Christian business leaders in Africa. It equips and partners with the Christian business community so that they can meaningfully and practically live out their marketplace calling on the African continent.
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What continent has the world's youngest and fastest-growing workforce...
Africa. Future Africa is working to increase the continent’s 3% contribution to global GDP by investing in global businesses that will lead the digital economy. They've raised 2 unicorns, have 6 exits, deployed $10M+ in 106 portfolio companies and $1B+ in follow-on capital.
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