Description
What does love for our local child welfare system look like? Every Child began as a collaborative ministry between a few churches in the Portland Metro area. The churches came together to provide “welcome” boxes for children sitting in a state office awaiting foster placement for the night (or longer). This led to asking a deeper and more important question: “Why are children waiting in a local child welfare office to begin with and where is the church in this?” Historic injustices, underfunded poverty programs, and over-policing have caused disproportionality of poor children and families of color in the child welfare system. Even with these known realities, children will still enter this flawed system and will experience it with or without support from the church. How does the church begin to engage appropriately with a large bureaucracy and model Jesus’ radical servanthood to a secular institution? Hear Every Child’s story and impact in Portland as an example of collective action and seeking the peace and shalom of the city.
