Welcome to
Building Belonging!

Building Belonging is our first program for Catholic Foster and Adoptive parents, and those discerning. This video and workbook series equips foster and adoptive parents to live their calling with faith, resilience, and community. Through practical guidance, theological grounding, and real-life stories from those touched by fostering and adoption, Building Belonging offers parents the encouragement they need for the journey.

Sample pages from Session One of Building Belonging.We created this program to walk alongside Catholic parents in the beautiful, and sometimes difficult, journey of parenting children through foster care or adoption.

We named this series Building Belonging because welcoming a child into our home is not just a one time event; it’s an ongoing commitment to help them know they belong — to us, to our families, and ultimately, to God.

Through small group sessions, foster, adoptive, and discerning parents work through topics covering relations with birth families, how to incorporate our child’s culture into our family life, and understanding God’s providence, that brings healing and purpose to even the most difficult stories… and more.

Each session includes a reading that explores the theology and background behind that session’s topic; a video highlighting stories of real Catholics touched by fostering and adoption; and time for prayer, reflection, and group discussion.

To better understand the complexities of fostering and adoption, this series includes voices not only of foster and adoptive parents, but also of birth parents, adoptees, former foster youth, and Catholic mental health professionals.

Inspired by their insights, we’ve identified six essential tasks for Catholic parents on this path:

Six Tasks for Fostering
and Adopting in Faith

Task #1: Seeing our child’s story through the lens of faith.

Task #2: Helping our child understand their identity as beloved by God.

Task #3: Recognizing that grief and loss are part of every fostering and adoption story.

Task #4: Pointing our child to God and His good plan for them.

Task #5: Honoring and embracing our child’s differences as opportunities for growth and adventure.

Task #6: Guiding our child in birth family relationships, while reinforcing their deep belonging in our family.

Program Overview

The Building Belonging formation series is designed to be completed in eight sessions, each incorporating a video and corresponding workbook materials. The program offers flexibility to accommodate different group needs.

What to Expect

Each core session includes a reading that explores the theology and background behind that session’s topic; a video highlighting stories of real Catholics touched by fostering and adoption; and time for prayer, reflection, and group discussion.

Prayer: Each session begins and ends with prayer, inviting God to guide conversations and meet us in the joys and struggles of parenting. Throughout the series, we’ll also pray for one another’s intentions. You are encouraged to share prayer needs and support fellow group members in prayer between sessions.

Written & Video Reflections: Each session, we’ll read an introduction, then watch a short video (around 10–20 minutes) featuring foster and adoptive parents, birth parents, adoptees, former foster youth, and Catholic mental health professionals sharing their experiences about a specific topic.

Group Discussion: We’ll share insights, challenges, and encouragement with one another, starting from discussion questions provided in the workbook.

Group Leaders

The Building Belonging workbook includes materials specifically to help leaders facilitate their groups, including a short group leader guide, guidelines for your small group, and a prayer for beginning the small group.

We also offer online training and materials for Building Belonging group leaders, complete with sample sign-up sheets and flyers for getting started, and emails to send throughout the program. Join our email list to get updates on training sessions and more.

Building Belonging workbook cover

Get Started with Building Belonging

Explore the FREE Preview

Curious about Building Belonging? Our Introductory Session is available as a FREE PREVIEW for foster, adoptive, and discerning parents, as well as parishes interested in learning more about the series.

Bring Building Belonging to Your Parish

The full 8-session Building Belonging series is offered through participating parishes and organizations as a small-group experience for foster, adoptive, and discerning parents.

Interested in starting a group at your parish or organization? Contact Springs of Love to learn more about getting started, group access, and pricing.

Join Our Mailing List

Sign up for Building Belonging email updates.

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Make Belonging Possible

To ensure cost is never a barrier—especially for foster families—we’re launching a scholarship fund to help cover costs. But we can only do that with your support. Your gift will directly support families seeking the support, encouragement, and community they need.

Please consider providing Building Belonging to a couple, or even a whole parish, through your next donation. Your contribution to our scholarship fund will guide a foster or adoptive couple through “building belonging” for their children, covering themes from birth family relations to celebrating cultural differences, all through the lens of our Catholic faith.