After more than a year of prayer, planning, translation work, and countless meetings with pastors and parents, the very first Families Count training in Haiti took place.
From August 3–8, thirty-four parents gathered for six days of teaching, workshops, and prayer. These parents are faithful members of local churches and are all longing for the same thing: to be reunited with their children currently living in orphanages.
While Families Count was originally designed by Lifeline Children’s Services for use in the U.S. foster care system, we quickly recognized the value it could have in addressing the orphan care crisis in Haiti. With Lifeline’s permission, our team translated the material into Creole and carefully adapted it for the Haitian context, ensuring it speaks directly to the challenges parents face here while preserving its strong biblical foundation.
Each day of the training centered on a different theme, from “Families are built for success” to “Broken families can be restored.” Parents engaged in group discussions, shared their own experiences, and participated in workshops that connected biblical teaching to their daily lives. Every morning began and ended with prayer, grounding the week in faith and hope.
The sessions were deeply participatory. Parents asked questions, voiced concerns, and even suggested areas where future support is needed, such as training schools in child protection. Their openness and eagerness showed how seriously they are taking the call to strengthen their families.
Leaders from the community, including pastors and the director of a local orphanage, visited the sessions and encouraged the work being done. Their presence affirmed that this program is not just about individual families, but about changing the culture around orphan care and family support in Haiti.
For many families in Haiti, poverty—not lack of love—has been the barrier to keeping children at home. Through Families Count, parents are not only gaining new tools and confidence, but also being discipled by their pastors and encouraged by their churches.
This first Families Count training is just the beginning, but it represents the fruit of a year’s worth of work and the prayers of many. We are filled with hope as we watch God move through parents, pastors, and communities to bring children back home where they belong.
