Having adopted and raised a son out of foster care, Paul and Joanne Jelle know the challenges. The Fair Oaks, CA family understands the need for respite, for therapists who understand Attachment Disorder and for a community of support on what is often a difficult journey. "When our family decided to adopt our son, Carl, we had three things that kept us going," Joanne says. "We believed in God's sovereignty, goodness and provision. We had a Christian therapist who specialized in children with attachment issues, and we had a Christian community that supported us with prayer and with practical care."
All this, they know, is crucial.
After losing their adopted son Carl at age 20 in a vehicle accident more than a year ago, the Jelles are finding healing in God's leading them to build a stronger community around foster and adoptive families. Their Sacramento area church, Valley Springs Presbyterian in Roseville, has stepped forward to become a Help One Child Ambassador Church. The Jelles are calling the church’s foster care ministry "Heart To Heart," and hope it will encourage more families to open their hearts to foster children. In February 2008, a licensed therapist and adoptive mother, Carla Derose, is facilitating the first Parent Child Connection meeting in Roseville.
