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Christ-Like Kindness Goes Far In Foster Care

Foster care. Rarely do two little words incite such a big emotional response. Feelings run the gamut from joy to anger to sadness and everything in between. It is one of the most difficult roads a family can choose to go down, but the joy that comes from raising children and seeing them thrive in a healthy environment is one of the most fulfilling things in the world.

Our foster care journey…

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The Life-Changing Reward Of Foster Care

Last week we wrapped up our blog series and theme for April, which featured our Safe Harbor program. As we enter into May and the weather is finally starting to feel like spring, we want to highlight the importance of foster care. This week, Brittany Lind shares her family’s story of foster care.

Broadening Our Perspectives Of Being Pro-Life

One of the bravest women I know is the woman who gave…

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Safe Harbor: What It's Like From A Child's Perspective

Safe Harbor: What It’s Like From A Child’s Perspective

This month we have discussed our Safe Harbor program at length. If you missed the Bernard’s story, catch up here to read their perspective as a Care Family. Last week, we heard an unforgettable message from the family the Bernard’s serve. As we wrap up our blog series on Safe Harbor, we will be focusing on the point of view of both the Care Family children and the Safe Harbor child who has come…

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#Care Family #Child&039;s perspective #Safe Harbor

Safe Harbor: God Shows Up On Time, Every Time

This is part 3 of our continuing April blog series on Safe Harbor. Last week we heard from one of our Care Families, the Bernardsand before that, we wrote about how The Harvest Is Plenty. This week, we will hear a unique perspective from the family the Bernards serve. We hope you enjoy learning more about this life-changing ministry.

God Shows Up On Time, Every Time

If someone had told me ten…

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Safe Harbor: The Power of Love is Life Changing

This month we are focusing on our Safe Harbor program, which provides tangible help to families going through a crisis. It ensures children who may be victims of abuse have a safe place to stay. It is not only a positively defining time for the child, but also for the family who steps in.

The bible verse that guides this program is Psalm 46:1, which says, “God is our refuge and our strength, a…

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Farming and Safe Harbor: The Harvest Is Plenty

My family and I are blessed to live on a little farm here in Kentucky and each year we look forward to spring, a time of new beginnings! This time of year is always very busy on the farm digging up weeds, preparing the soil for planting, and getting those young seedlings started.

It can be a lot of work, it’s very messy, and often it can be challenging with unexpected storms and colds snaps, but…

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Gateway Shows The Love Of Jesus

When the truth of what God the Father has done for us through His Son, to adopt us into His family, is made known to us by the Holy Spirit, the inevitable response is an outpouring of gratitude in sacrificial love and service to others.

Even after this glorious adoption, one tendency of our old sinful natures that often stifles this outpouring is comparing ourselves to others, what their service…

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Social Workers Are Leaders, Advocates, and Champions

Every March we celebrate and support the National Professional Social Work Month and this year’s theme is “leaders. advocates. champions.” While the whole month of March is set aside as National Social Work Month, today, March 20th, is World Social Work Day! We celebrate with Social Workers today, and every day, especially the ones we work with on a daily basis in Kentucky and Southern Indiana.

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Gateway: Supporting Social Workers and Preserving Families

If you’ve been keeping up with our blogs, you know that our theme for February was LOVE! If you missed any of them, see how we love adoptive families, how we love foster children, and how we love vulnerable families. Throughout the month of March, we want to carry on that theme to show how much we love and appreciate our state social workers in Kentucky and Indiana.

Picture sourced from…

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Loving Vulnerable Families Through Safe Harbor

I’ve always loved the month of February. It is a month that seems to bring a little warmth and comfort as winter trudges on and many of us are trying to recoup from the post-holiday blues. After all, February is the month of LOVE! The stores are filled with heart laden gifts and cards. Expressions of love are everywhere. It is the month that we openly and unashamedly express our affections for…

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How We Love Foster Children through Life Coaching

When we envision families, we envision loving, supporting parents who are a steady presence and light in the lives of their children. They are there to support them throughout their adolescence and transition into adulthood as their children continue to discover who they are and who they want to be.

Youth who age out of the foster care system don’t have this important support. At OCA, we believe…

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How We Support Adoptive Families and Ways You Can Too

It seems like the moment one holiday is over, the next one is on display throughout stores a second later. Sometimes this even happens months in advance, especially with Thanksgiving and Christmas. Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and people are beginning to spend an excessive amount on flowers, jewelry, and expensive dinners, but not many are considering anyone other than their…

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How We Celebrate The Sanctity Of Life

This past Monday, January 22nd was National Sanctity of Human Life Day. This day was first set aside in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan when he issued a proclamation which designated January 22nd as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. This proclamation was in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to legalize abortion-on-demand in all 50 states on January 22nd, 1973. We have dedicated the…

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Darren's Corner: Future Vision for OCA Ministry

Darren’s Corner: Future Vision for OCA Ministry

For the past several years OCA has been on a journey to serve vulnerable families and care for the fatherless with the love of Christ. We’ve also been committed to caring for parents who have chosen to open their homes to foster care and adoption. By: Darren Washausen, Executive DirectorYou are reading this because, at some point, your life has intersected with the ministry of OCA. The journey so…

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#Darren Washausen #kentucky fatherless #Orphan Care

Love and trust through Life Coaching offers hope to youth

From the moment you see Lorri and 16 year old, Krystal together, you know their relationship is special. There is obvious affection between the two of them. You would never guess they’ve only known each other for about 16 months. Lorri became a life coach with OCA in August of 2016. She says she expected the role to be more difficult. But she and Krystal hit it off from the very beginning. Some…

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#Adulthood Transition #foster care #Louisville Mentors

Life Coaches Give Dignity to Foster Alumni

By: Beth Pace, OCA Life Coaching Director Malik is 20 years old. He plans to be a graphic designer and own a business one day. He is a talented artist, musician and athlete. He is kind, smart, hardworking and fun to be around. And when Dan first met Malik a few months ago, he was also homeless.

Dan decided to become a life coach with OCA and attended training in January 2017. He was matched with…

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#Foster Alumni #Kentucky Mentoring #Life Coaching #volunteer

Goodpaster Family Adoption Journey Reveals True Community

Written by: Heather Sewell Twenty-three percent of practicing Christians prefer to have biological children rather than adopt, according to a 2013 Frames study by the Barna Group. This was the story of Nathan and Jessica Goodpaster. When their son turned three, they began opening the discussion of having another child. As the months passed and Christmas drew near Jessica began to lose hope. Close…

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