What Are You Thinking? Our DFCS Partnership.

“The Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) investigates reports of child abuse; finds foster and adoptive homes for abused and neglected children; issues SNAP, Medicaid and TANF; helps out-of-work parents get back on their feet; and provides numerous support services and innovative programs to help families in need.” (from the dfcs about page)

I have had to contact DFCS as a mandatory reporter when I witnessed child abuse. I have prayed for and with families who have been falsely accused of child neglect or abuse. I have been questioned by DFCS about abuse and neglect. I have been interviewed regarding cases I was connected with through family and friends. I have seen children with great needs go to families who were told the child had no special needs. I have seen children removed from good families. I have seen children go to bad families. And we have likely all heard stories of cases gone wrong. I have seen children weeping, biological parents weeping and foster parents weeping - each and all in some way devastated by circumstances and decisions.

Why in light of all of the negative interactions would you choose to partner with DFCS? That was the question that our primary DFCS representative asked recently. It is a fair question. It may be a question that you have had. This morning, though someone else had already answered the question, I emailed our DFCS contacts with my answer to that question as I also made a plea on behalf of one of our families. I deleted the plea from this post but wanted to share the WHY of our partnership.

Dear __________,
Amanda shared your questions with me a couple of weeks back about how we came to the decision to work to help DFCS as a church. You asked that in light of some of the negative interchanges our people have had with DFCS over the years. I want to answer that…

Theologically we understand our world in light of the Bible’s story of creation, fall, redemption and restoration:
God created the world and all that is in it, and created Adam and Eve and placed them in the garden. Things were “very good.” Adam and Eve’s relationship with one another was exactly as it was designed to be and theirs with their creator was exactly as it was planned to be. At this point there was no sin or brokenness in the world.
Then Eve disobeyed God, and Adam followed. Sin had entered the world. Immediately everything changed – Adam’s relationship with Eve, hers with him, each of them with God. Brokenness from sin would quickly fill the pages of history – abuse, murder, wars, famine, death.

God promised a redeemer as early as Genesis 3:15 – one who would come to fix the brokenness. Over and over throughout the Old Testament that redeemer is promised.
We meet him in the Gospels. His name is Jesus.

Jesus lived the life that we cannot – perfect and holy,
He died the death that we deserve – the penalty for sin,
He was raised on the 3rd day defeating death and sin and Satan, ultimately for us.
He ascended to the right hand of the Father where now he intercedes for those who love and follow him, those who trust in his work of redemption.

He has promised that he is returning.
He is coming again to finish the work that he has only begun. When he returns he will judge his enemies and all those who are lost in their sin. He welcome those who are his own into his presence and into the Father’s presence and then, he will restore all things to what was intended in the garden, when there was no sin. Then there will be no more sin, no more suffering, no more brokenness and we will be with him forevermore.

Until then we live in the brokenness of a fallen world. We live with the hope that we have in him and the future that he has promised. Until he comes to fully and finally redeem and restore, we, the church are to be His Kingdom present. We strive to bring shalom to the world we are in. We work to bring a glimpse of what will be to what is now.
In that kingdom there will be no abused children – we will all be loved.
There will be no more suffering and all will be cared for.

That is your job.
God gave it to you through the government that he established (Romans 13).
He has given DFCS with all of its (own) brokenness to help with the brokenness of families. We want to help you help families and kids.

We want to bring an end to suffering and (to) care for others as best we can, as a glimpse of the kingdom that will be. So we have made a commitment to you and through you to families and children.

And our plan is to stick with you.

For all of the difficult situations I have been a part of with DFCS, I have also been a part of numerous good situations… good in a broken world. I have seen abused and neglected children rescued from terrible situations. I have seen them loved and cared for. I have seen the adoptions of families who have made these children their own. I have been in the attorney’s office and heard the judge’s declaration of adoption. I’ve seen tears of joy not just tears of sadness and hurt. I have seen foster children loved as if they belonged to a family as preparation was made for their forever home. I have seen kids cared for as parents work on addiction and other issues. I have seen DFCS workers who are under-paid and over-worked, vigorously pursue the best interest of children. I’ve seen them fight for the safety and well being of children. I’ve also seen them not only work to help mothers and fathers but go well past the extra mile to try to keep families together.

Their job is hard. I honestly cannot imagine doing it. But they do. Many of them very well.
They often do so with little appreciation from families on either side, only criticism.
Their job is important. God has ordained this government to care for those who cannot care for themselves. Children’s lives are at stake and at the very least, in every interaction their health and well being are at stake. That is a lot. It is a hard job.

DFCS is a broken government organization that is staffed by broken people (like we are all broken) seeking to work with broken children and broken families in a sadly broken world.
Jesus has come to mend the brokenness.
Though we will not see the brokenness fully fixed until He returns, the church is here, in part, by his grace, to give a glimpse of what will be. We are here to mend what can be mended, to serve as He would serve, to defend those who cannot defend themselves, and where we are able, to be instruments of healing.
I cannot think of a better partnership than this one.

We are thankful for the DFCS workers. May we pray more and more for you and all that you do.
We are saddened and sometimes angered by moms and dads who abuse and neglect. May our anger be righteous as it reminds us that this is not how things were intended to be and may our sadness lead us to prayer and action on your behalf and on behalf of your children.
We are brokenhearted for the children who suffer daily and need desperately to be loved. May we love you like Jesus loves you and serve you as His own.
We see you fostering and adoptive families! May we pray for you, pray with you and support you more and more in the days to come - you are part of his answer for now to all of this brokenness.

In all of it may we be reminded that we labor for a kingdom that is coming and for a king who will do all that he promised. May we hope in his promises because he is faithful and true.
And let us not grow weary of doing good… Galatians 6:9