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Oh, how I love the fall. The crisp mornings and cool evenings, the brilliant leaves, and the way nature quietly prepares for its long winter nap. There’s an energy in the air — school sports, college football (especially here in the South!), and weekends filled with fall festivals that remind us of the beauty of community.
Every August, Moms Adopting Moms welcomes a new group of interns and often a service-learning team from the University of Georgia. Together, we work tirelessly through the fall months, all while anticipating the warmth of Thanksgiving and the hope and joy of Christmas.
This season, our team is busier than ever. We are walking alongside more than 30 biological families who are either fighting for reunification or have already been reunified and are now in our two-year post-reunification program. Moms Adopting Moms is one of the few organizations in the nation that supports families both before and after reunification — because the statistic that 27% of children reenter foster care within 24 months deeply troubles me.
We want more for our moms and dads. We want them thriving — not just surviving. Consider this: 67% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and 28% nearing retirement have no savings. The bottom 50% of families in our country have an average net worth of only $60,000. These numbers reflect a national crisis that touches us all.
At Moms Adopting Moms, we refuse to accept that reality. We send our clients back to school for degrees or career certifications. We help them create — and stick to — real budgets. We coach them toward home ownership and away from unregulated debt. We make sure they and their children have healthcare, regular checkups, and mental health support. Because breaking generational cycles is hard work — but if not us, and if not now, then when?
And it’s working. Our moms have achieved an 85–90% reunification rate, compared to the national average of 44%. Since incorporating just two years ago, not one child from a reunified family in our program has returned to care. The difference? Peer mentors with lived experience and foster families who “adopt the whole family for life.” That’s what the foster care system has been missing.
Of course, we dream of serving hundreds more families — but that requires funding. This summer and fall, I’ve applied for more than 15 grants to sustain our peer mentorship program. The truth is, we’re addressing a problem that billions in government funding hasn't solved — more than $11 billion last year alone was spent trying to sustain a system that continues to fail families. We’ve found a better way. We just need the support to expand it.
Until that day comes, we continue to rely on you — our faithful supporters, donors, and partners — who make this mission possible. God has provided every step of the way, and we know He will continue to do so.
With deep gratitude,
Mary Rathbone
Founder & Executive Director
Moms Adopting Moms, Inc.
“Adopting the Whole Family for Life”
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