Foster and Adoption Ministry

Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. –James 1:27 (NLT)

Gateway Church is responding to James 1:27 by committing to care for children without families in our communities. We’ll educate, train, and equip our congregants to create safe places for kids to belong to family.

The Need

In Texas, there are currently:
28,753 children in the foster care system.
5,900 children in the foster care system in the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex.
935 foster homes.
1,200 children who “age out” of foster care each year.

The sense of loneliness and lack of family doesn’t automatically disappear when a child turns 18, and the lasting effects can be devastating.

80% of human trafficking survivors were in the foster care system
60% of inmates were in the foster care system
50% of people experiencing homelessness were in the foster care system

Ways to Get Involved

We see the need to make a difference in the lives of these children and their families! For some, this may awaken the calling to become a foster parent or adopt a child. But supporting adoption and foster care doesn’t always mean bringing an orphaned child into your home. There are several ways you can make an impact on a child in need!

Become a foster or adoptive family.
Lifeline Children’s Services provides holistic, gospel-centered training for foster and adoptive families, equipping them as they enter the mission filed of ministry to vulnerable children. The first step toward becoming a foster or adoptive family is to complete Lifeline Children’s Services pre-adoption and foster care application.

Attend an informational meeting.
Learn more about the fostering and adoption processes and how to become a respite care provider. Whether you feel called by God to open your home to a child in need or want to learn more about supporting those who do, this meeting will answer your questions and provide clear next steps.

Join a W.R.A.P. team at your campus.
W.R.A.P. teams “wrap around” and support foster families by providing meals, respite care, help with groceries, help with errands, and regular prayer.

Join a foster and adoptive family support group at your campus.
Foster and adoptive family support groups create a safe space for families to connect, build relationships, and encourage one another throughout the fostering and adoption journeys.

Serve with a ministry partner.
There are groups across all our Gateway campuses that serve children and families in need. Join an outreach group and serve in community!

Give toward adoptive and foster care support.
Visit gatewaypeople.com/giving and select “Other – Widows and Orphans Ministry” from the dropdown menu.

Additional Resources

We partner with several organizations across the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex and in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Visit Lifeline Children’s Services for additional resources on supporting adoptive and foster care families.