Pastor Adam and his wife Cara were introduced to foster care by family friends who were actively involved. As a faith-based family, they felt they had the ability to help kids that needed a safe and loving home and pursued their own foster care license.

Toward the end of their licensing process, Adam and Cara were contacted for their first placement. A baby boy needed a home — and reunification was not an option. Adam and Cara talked and prayed over the opportunity that was brought to them. They felt called to act and welcomed the baby boy. The child became a natural fit in the Bell family, so when adoption became an option, he permanently joined their crew. A short time later, their new son’s biological sister came to live with the Bell family. When adoption became an option, they gave her the choice, and she chose to join the Bell family as well.

Fast forward to today, Adam and Cara have a lively, blended family of six. They acknowledge the challenges of foster care and adoption — It is chaotic and messy, but worthwhile. Adam believes this experience has had a positive impact on their children. As the Bell family continues to welcome respite care placements, their children have learned important life lessons about acting with compassion and helping to care for those in need.

As a pastor, Adam is an advocate for foster and adoptive families within their community. They began by hosting foster care support activities within their church. This expanded to include partnering with MDHHS to support additional families, hosting pop-up foster closet events, and sponsoring family nights. Adam has stepped into a leadership role within the Faith Communities Coalition on Foster Care (FCC) in Macomb County. In this role, Adam helps facilitate and maintain relationships between MDHHS, private agencies, local churches, and other places of worship.

Over time Adam and Cara were inspired to make this their life’s work and they became foster and adoptive care chaplains. As a part of this work, they visit churches across the state and engage them to act on behalf of the children and families in their communities. Between the advocacy work Adam does with FCC and the work he and Cara do individually, he is most excited for an upcoming partnership with a faith-based ministry partner – CarePortal.