What do orphan caretakers need?

I've been talking to missionaries and national leaders of children's homes around the world to assess the greatest training and support needs of children's home staff. Here is my summary of what they said orphan caretakers need:

They need Relief. Any mother needs a break. In a houseparent-child ratio of 30:1, one symptom of burnout is contentious language toward the children and fellow staff.

They need Encouragement. Amidst grinding routine, many caretakers lose perspective on the eternal value of what they are doing. They grow weary and discouraged.

They need to be Discipled. Though believers, many national caretakers have never been established in their faith. They don’t have the abundance of opportunities to feed on the word that we have in the US. (Solid churches. Believing friends. Spiritual conferences. Christian radio. Christian books. Etc.) Consequently, often, practical behavior looks much like the unholy culture around them.

They need to be Resourced. They want to teach the Bible to the children. Do they have good resources to do it?

They need to be Equipped. These staff want to raise the children well. Yet often they’ve never received training in basic Biblical childcare and child protection.

They need to be Accountable. Financial and human resources sometimes are not managed well. Thus, the children suffer. Caretakers need instruction on Biblical stewardship.

A national leader of a children's home in Asia wrote to me: "We really really need spiritual programs for the staff. We urgently need training.”

Will you consider partnering with me in making disciples among the world’s 153 million orphans by strengthening their caretakers?