Last year on 1 January, my then eight-year-old son announced that his New Year’s resolution was to stop eating green vegetables in 2022. To be fair to him, he has done very well at sticking to this resolution but I’m not sure it quite captures the potential of the right sort of change that a new year offers.

Have you made any resolutions this year?

If so, have you kept them?

New Year resolutions are a popular thing to make and a difficult thing to keep, but there’s something enticing about the opportunity that a blank slate at the start of a year offers us. Perhaps that’s why so many of us make them or wonder if we should.

But at Home for Good, we haven’t made any this year.

Why not?

Because our vision, commitment, passion, and laser-like focus remain unchanged.

Here are three things that we are resolutely committed to in 2023.

1. Finding homes

We exist to find homes for every child and teenager who needs one through fostering, adoption and supported lodgings for teenagers. We continue to believe that the local church around the UK could make a transformational difference.

That hasn’t changed. It remains our number one focus.

Why?

Because we believe in the value and potential of each one of the 95 children who come into care in the UK every day.

We long to see them thrive in a community who will love, accept, and champion them, whether that’s for a short time on their way to independence in supported lodgings, as they prepare to return to birth family or for a longer time in a fostering or adoptive family.

In 2023 we still dare to believe that individuals, couples and families within the 50,000 + churches across the UK can make a significant difference.

2. We love teenagers!

That’s not something that’s said enough in society, but at Home for Good we’re passionate about seeing teenagers thrive; we want to see them supported and cared for by a tribe of people around them as they step closer to adulthood.

Around one in four children in care are 16 and above and in 2023 we remain committed to finding the very best homes for these teenagers.

Imagine the difference a mobilised, local church could make in the lives of teenagers by offering homes through supported lodgings.

Imagine the privilege of doing life together - sharing favourite recipes, learning how to manage money together and figuring out how not to shrink clothes in the wash.

Imagine the joy and challenges that may come that could be held in the context of a community that supports, is consistent and stands alongside one another.

3. We stand for justice

Our final unchanging resolution is our commitment to justice.

Across the UK, Black children are disproportionately represented in the care system. Black children wait longer for adoption than other children and are least likely to ever be adopted.

This is a justice issue. And it’s one we care deeply about.

Our advocacy team are at the forefront of campaigning for change at a government level because we remain committed to systemic change.

And again, we believe that the church in the UK has the potential within it to make a significant difference. In 2023, we are redoubling our efforts to connect with a greater diversity of church leaders, individuals, couples, families, networks and denominations. We want to rally the church to stand for justice for all children and teenagers, but particularly for children who wait the longest for home and family – and that includes children with disabilities and/or medical needs, older children and sibling groups.

So, whatever other resolutions you may or may not have made (or kept) we want to invite you to come on this journey with us because we believe everyone has a part to play.