Christian Alliance for Orphans

Christian Alliance for Orphans CAFO unites a movement of organizations, churches, and individuals worldwide to connect and equip Christians to care for vulnerable children and families.

08/19/2026

“The greatest gift my kids needed was the gift of my presence.”

Alina Druță has fostered more than 60 teenagers over 13 years in Moldova. When her kids struggled, her instinct was the one most of us have — step in, fix it, give more advice, get them ready for life.

“And I was missing the point most of the time.”

What she learned instead: stop. Be present. Do less for them, and simply be there with them.

She’s honest that it runs against everything pulling at us — the phones, the information, the constant sense that we should be doing more career-wise, more as parents, more at home.

At CAFO2026 we’ll explore this on both levels: what doing less makes possible for our organizations and teams, and what it makes possible in our homes.

“I’m so excited that we can learn this together and just be present with one another. I will see you in September in Atlanta.”

CAFO2026 | Atlanta | Sept. 23–25
Register at CAFO2026.org

We want to see local churches moving toward deeper engagement in the work of caring for vulnerable children. And because...
08/18/2026

We want to see local churches moving toward deeper engagement in the work of caring for vulnerable children. And because we feel the urgency of the work, when our efforts to mobilize churches are slow or hit roadblocks ... frustration sometimes sets in.

But what if we need to step back and consider what God wants for His people, not what we want from them?

God invites people to participate in His work in the world, not because He needs help, but because He is forming something in them. It cannot be overlooked that Jesus entrusted the work of the Kingdom into the hands of ordinary people.

Fishermen.
Tax collectors.
Shepherds.

And He continues to do the same today. Parents. Teachers. Coaches. Students. You and me. Normal people entrusted with the things of the Kingdom. This reveals something important about how God works.

His primary interest is not just in what we accomplish, but in who we are becoming — because the Church is first a people, not an institution.

Read more from Jason Johnson about how this changes the way we seek to mobilize churches on the CAFO blog at the link below:https://cafo.org/the-church-and-the-kingdom-of-god-ordinary-people-entrusted-with-extraordinary-callings/

08/17/2026

"The very best thing you can do in your marriage is to pursue Jesus as an individual."

Marriage advice that starts with you, alone, in God's Word. It sounds backwards — until you follow Jamie Finn's reasoning: when your spouse hits discouragement or fear, you can only hand them what you've already been filled with.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, and you'll have something real to give — not just a nice sentiment scraped together in the moment.

A healthy marriage is one of the greatest gifts you can give your children. For families parenting kids through trauma, that steadiness matters more than most.

Jamie shares three biblical practices from Colossians 3 for a marriage that holds up in hard seasons. Watch the full conversation free:
[FULL VIDEO URL]

Want to go deeper? Sturdy Family Practices is the Family Institute's on-demand course built for foster and adoptive families:
https://academy.cafo.org/p/sturdy-family-practices

08/12/2026

24 million views in a day. Nearly 6 billion in a year. That’s one news website.

Jedd Schroy pulled those numbers up and recognized something about himself: “I find myself consumed by headlines that really have nothing to do with me.”

So he ran an experiment. He stopped getting his news from the 24-hour cycle — and started getting it from friends, colleagues, people at the coffee shop. People who’ve actually thought about it, from different vantage points.

What matters still reaches him. What doesn’t, he lets go.

“That’s one way I’m trying to do less and enjoy more. More freedom of thought, more freedom of time, focusing on what matters most.”

Pruning isn’t only about what we do. Sometimes it’s about what we let in.

That’s the heart of CAFO2026: Less.

CAFO2026 | Atlanta | Sept. 23–25
Register at CAFO2026.org

College Students: If God has placed vulnerable children and families on your heart, you don’t have to walk that road alo...
08/06/2026

College Students: If God has placed vulnerable children and families on your heart, you don’t have to walk that road alone. The CAFO Student Fellowship connects you with a community of college students and leaders from across the country who share your passion. As a Fellow, you’ll receive free registration to CAFO Summit and participate in a spring course designed to help you grow in your calling.

Applications close August 31. Apply at cafo.org/cafo-student-fellow. And if you know a college student who would be a great fit, tag them below or share this post with them. That’s how many of our Fellows first discovered the program!

08/04/2026

“You are running a double marathon at the pace of a 5K.”

That’s what a friend said to Jamie Finn when she was defending her pace in the middle of real burnout. Her family was in a hard season, ministry hadn’t slowed, and she was depleted — physically, emotionally, mentally.

She’d been telling herself she was faithfully running the race. What she heard instead: the race is longer than she was pacing for.

So she rebuilt the schedule. Rather than letting meetings and programs shape it, she put the rocks in first — her body, her soul, time with people, rest, God’s Word — and let everything else build around them.

“I wanted to run the race in a way where I wouldn’t have to stop. Where I wasn’t running so fast that I would have to quit.”

That’s the heart of CAFO2026: Less.

CAFO2026 | Atlanta | Sept. 23–25
Register at CAFO2026.org

The smartphone introduced a parenting curveball ... and the technology curveballs keep coming.Parenting suddenly require...
07/30/2026

The smartphone introduced a parenting curveball ... and the technology curveballs keep coming.

Parenting suddenly requires decisions about device and platform use with no roadmap or communal consensus.

Foster and adoptive parenting also becomes more complex as the technology landscape continues to shift. Young people entering foster care may have experienced unsupervised access to devices, very heavy screen use and greater exposure to online harms. When there are struggles with self-regulation or other delays in readiness, a teen may need additional oversight and limits for longer periods. Tension over screen use can strain relationships and leave parents feeling that they are facing a losing battle.

Whether parenting through foster care, adoption or birth, a critical part of raising children in an online era is equipping them to establish healthy tech habits now and as a pathway toward adult life.

Parents have the opportunity to guide children through that process, gradually shifting from restriction to coaching. Check out the latest on the CAFO blog below for key principles to help along the way.

https://cafo.org/teens-and-technology-helping-your-teen-create-healthy-tech-habits-now/

07/28/2026

“I take something away to experience something better.”

Six years ago, Vernon Burger got off all social media and stopped scrolling the news — unsure if he’d miss something important. He hasn’t missed a single major event. What he found instead: a deeper presence with the people in front of him, and a body no longer wired tight from the scroll.

Recently he pulled email and browsers off his phone, too. More space. More presence.

Less isn’t loss. Sometimes it’s the very thing that makes room for more.

That’s the heart of CAFO2026: Less.

CAFO2026 | Atlanta | Sept. 23–25
Register now➡️ CAFO2026.org

Shane & Shane are coming back for CAFO2026.Picture it: worshiping alongside 2,000+ people from 50+ countries who share y...
07/28/2026

Shane & Shane are coming back for CAFO2026.

Picture it: worshiping alongside 2,000+ people from 50+ countries who share your heart for vulnerable children and families, led by Shane & Shane. That’s the room we’re building in Atlanta this September.

And this is the week to join us — prices increase Aug. 1, so you can still register and save $35.

While you’re at it:
⚫️ The full sessions schedule is live: Soul Care, Help for Adoptive & Foster Families, Foster Youth, Global, Disabilities, Leadership and more
⚫️ Go deeper with a Bonus Session, Sim Lab, or Global Collaborate

Fewer branches. Better fruit.

Register now ➡️ CAFO2026.org

CAFO2026 | Atlanta | Sept. 23–25 | First Baptist Atlanta

Screens. They are a huge source of tension between parents and children. Parents genuinely want their children to be pro...
07/22/2026

Screens. They are a huge source of tension between parents and children.

Parents genuinely want their children to be protected from online harm. Most parents also have a sense that spending too many hours on devices and social media isn’t good for kids. And many are concerned about potential harms with AI becoming ubiquitous in daily life.

But where do you start?

Parents may want effective screen limits but are unclear about what the boundaries ought to be, what is reasonable and how to implement and stick to a plan when it gets hard. That’s where a family tech rule comes into play.

At any point, there is much to be gained by establishing and maintaining firm boundaries around screen use. These limits help a family resist the constant pull of “just a few more minutes” and begin to recover the many good things screens may have crowded out.

Check out the latest on the CAFO blog to learn more about establishing a family tech rule.

https://cafo.org/technology-and-family-life-setting-limits-to-support-flourishing/

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