Circle of Care helping churches support adoptive families

TULSA, Okla. — After adopting a child, Cindy Boecking said she quickly realized parenting came with challenges she had never expected.

Boecking said finding resources and connecting with other parents made a difference, but locating that information was not always easy.

WATCH: Circle of Care helping churches support adoptive families:

“There’s a lot of resources and a lot of trainings and a lot of things out there,” Boecking said.

Sixteen years ago, Boecking started a support group at her church for adoptive and foster families. Now, as director of the Beyond Program at Circle of Care, she is expanding that idea by providing toolkits to churches in Muskogee County and across Oklahoma.

KJRH

The toolkits are designed to help churches create support groups and include parenting books, discussion guides, information about counseling services and national resources for adoptive families.

Boecking said thousands of children have been adopted in Oklahoma, but many adoptive families are unaware of the resources available to them or lack a strong community of support after an adoption is finalized.

“Just one person willing to step out and use a toolkit like this can make all the difference for families,” Boecking said.

Churches interested in starting a support group can request a toolkit by contacting the Beyond Program here. Circle of Care said the goal is to make it easier for communities to support adoptive families while also welcoming foster families into those conversations.

“I would love to see more of that, more communities, more churches step up and create a community of support,” Boecking said.

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