Adopting Children Living with HIV

Have you ever considered that there is a child living with HIV in the United States or around the world who is outside of parental care, waiting for a family of their own?

According to UNICEF (2011), there are 153 million orphans worldwide. It is accurate to say that millions of these children are living with HIV. Without a family to care for them, their risk of death is inevitable. Their deaths are preventable. Not only can the church care for children living with HIV, they can provide what every child needs most: they can help children reunite with their families (if they are separated because of orphanage care), and they can help them get adopted into legal, loving, lasting families of their own either within their country of birth, or within a family beyond their borders who will welcome them as their own child through adoption.

In 2015, in the United States, only about 5647 people adopted from other countries, and tragically, of that small number who adopted, only a handful of children living with HIV were adopted. Families report that stigma, fear, myths and ignorance keep them from adopting children who are living with HIV.

There is hope. If you’ll explore this site, you will learn what causes HIV and what doesn’t. You’ll learn how a child with HIV is not dangerous for a family and that HIV is not transmitted through ordinary daily contact. You’ll also receive hope and community to find other families who have adopted HIV positive, who can share what it means to have your child living with HIV.

Adopting children living with HIV is part of the Orphan Care Initative at Saddleback Church. Adopting children living with HIV should be a well-informed decision. There are many issues to consider. Access to good medical care, how to deal with schools, friends, future relationships, and marriage are just some of the issues that need to be explored. Adopting child living with HIV is not like adopting any other child with a chronic disease. HIV affects the child and family in multiple ways, and becomes more complicated as your child grows and matures.

We believe that not everyone should adopt, but everyone who names the name of Jesus should ask themselves, “How can I help a child get into a permanent family of their own…every child-including those living with HIV.” There are many ways you can help others adopt. You can also support a family who is adopting a child who is living with HIV. We believe there are millions of children living with HIV who need a loving, legal, life-long family of their own. Could you be one of those families?

To learn more, contact Elizabeth Styffe at orphans@saddleback.com