November is a month where we show thanksgiving for the gifts in our lives. We take the time to recognize the ways in which we've been blessed, and we share these blessings. Consequently, it is fitting that November is designated National Adoption Month. Adoptive families come together through love, compassion, and a desire to share the gifts of life.

Good Shepherd Children & Family Services is dedicated to "helping children connect to families and helping families stay connected." Through a continuum of services that includes expectant parent support, foster care, residential care, youth and family mentoring, and adoption, our ultimate goal is to find a true family for each child. Our definition of family begins with one child and one loving adult but also includes siblings and the myriad of other people who will act as shepherds, guiding and watching over the child.

Good Shepherd assists families interested in domestic and foreign adoption and provides both pre- and post-adoption support. Currently, there is a tremendous need for families willing to adopt older youth and sibling groups. Many of these children are in the foster care system and on average are at least ten years of age. They are typically removed from their birth homes due to abuse and/or neglect.

Good Shepherd, under a contract with the Missouri Children's Division, licenses foster/adoptive homes in an effort to help this underserved population. In St. Louis City and County alone, there are approximately 2,000 children in foster care and roughly 400 foster homes. Good Shepherd provides an array of services to help support the foster children, foster families, and adoptive families served under this contract. However, Good Shepherd still needs loving families who are willing to open their homes and hearts to a child in need.

The gratitude of the children and families who come together through adoption is evident. We are all thankful to the parents and the children they adopt for the hard work and open hearts needed to make it work, like any family. If you would like additional information on any of Good Shepherd's foster care or adoption programs, please contact Deva Blackman, Foster/Adoptive Family Recruiter, at 314-792-7427 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .