On Monday, November 30 beginning at 10AM EST, Focus on the Family’s very own Dr. Sharen Ford will participate in an hour-long virtual event titled “Adoption and Foster Care in America: No Time to Waste” hosted by The Heritage Foundation.

Since November is National Adoption Month, the event will be held to bring attention to the plight of children in foster care, a situation that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The morning after Election Day, a critical case about foster care and religious freedom was heard by the Supreme Court. The pandemic shutdowns have reduced the supply of families for the 424,000 children in foster care, 125,000 of whom are eligible to be adopted,” a description of the event states, noting the urgency of the topic.

“And yet because of disagreements over same-sex marriage and gender identity, governments have been taking choices away from parents which reduces families for children. Adoption and foster care provide lifelines to children in need. Please join us as we discuss these issues that are fundamentally about life, civil rights, and the best interests of America’s neediest children.”

Dr. Ford is Focus on the Family’s Director for Foster Care and Adoption.

She is also a “nationally-recognized child welfare consultant and the retired Manager for Permanency Services for the Colorado Department of Human Services in the Division of Child Welfare Services. Dr. Ford is the former President of the National Association of State Adoption Programs (NASAP) and the Association of Administrators for the Interstate Compact on Adoption Medical Assistance (AAICAMA).”

Emilie Kao, Director of the Richard and Helen DeVos Center at The Heritage Foundation, will host the event.

Additionally, Paul Mulligan, President and Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Charities Community Services Arizona, will participate in the panel alongside Dr. Ford. The panel portion will be moderated by Kathryn Jean Lopez, Senior Fellow at National Review.

The virtual event will be keynoted by Rep. David Schweikart, R-Ariz.

Focus on the Family is passionate about adoption. Through Wait No More, Focus’ Adoption and Foster Care Program, around 78,000 families have begun the process of becoming foster parents or adopting a child.

To view and RSVP for “Adoption and Foster Care in America: No Time to Waste,” click here.

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