Meet Opal. Opal suddenly found herself raising her two six-year-old grandsons alone. When the boys first moved in, her husband, Gerald, was by her side. They were determined to raise the boys in a loving home. Tragically, Gerald was diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 2021 and passed away three months later. Opal needed help. In January 2023, Opal …
Get to know our newest Connect Group leaders Derrick and Amanda Singletary! They are serving as leaders for a new connect group in Jefferson County. Q: Tell us about yourself…. A: We became foster parents in Feb. 2012 and adopted three siblings in Dec. 2015 (now ages 13, 11, and 10). We have four biological children ages 19, 15, 8, …
This is how the story begins for many foster children. They enter the foster care system later in life when their birth parents are unable to care for them at the present time. They need someone to care for them for a week, a month, a year, or permanently. Some have been abused or neglected, but others have birth parents …
Christina has battled with addiction. She has suffered domestic violence. She has experienced the profound tragedy of losing a child. She has struggled with navigating life as a single mother. Through all the pain, hardship, and trials she is raising her three boys with unrelenting love. We met Christina through OCA’s Family Preservation Ministry as a Restore client. This ministry …
Pam lost her husband at the early age of 44. Amidst that deep loss, she was left with five children to raise. Jackie, a widow, struggled for three weeks simply trying to trim her outside bushes with a pair of scissors. Stella suffered the loss of her daughter in 2019. Two years later, she lost her husband. During her loss, …
Our God is the “Father to the Fatherless” (Ps. 68:5; 146:9) and as God’s people we are called to love the vulnerable (Is. 1:17; James 1:27). Many of us may not be called or able to foster or adopt. However, we can still participate in God’s work of caring for hurting kids and families. God Has Adopted Us to Be …
Kelsie was a young mom of two children with another on the way. She had just decided to leave a domestically violent relationship that left her homeless; living out of her car with her kids. Kelsie did not think she could keep her third child and was considering adoption until she found temporary housing through New Life Directions. This step …
Daily we hear from weary caregivers who are at the end of their ropes. Many have read the parenting books, attended trainings on trauma, and taken their child to countless specialists, yet little has changed. Scared and frustrated by their child’s behaviors, their homes seem more like a warzone than a place of refuge. Family Coaching with OCA When …
None of us are immune to stress, trauma, and adversity. Especially when we are caring for kids with a background of trauma. We will all face misfortunes and setbacks. Resilience means being able to adapt to life’s misfortunes and setbacks. Bouncing back from these difficult experiences will grow your resilience and your personal development. How can you support your …
