Dr. Kimberly Offutt on empowering through foster care.

What happens when a child turns 18... and has no one to call?

Every year, nearly 25,000 young adults age out of the U.S. foster care system without the lifelong support of a family. Many face homelessness, incarceration, poverty, or isolation—not because they lack potential, but because they lack belonging.

In this powerful episode of The Mercy Cast, I welcome Dr. Kimberly Offutt, Executive Branch Director of Bethany Christian Services in Atlanta, a foster and adoptive mom, and a child welfare leader. Together, we explore what it means to move beyond programs and systems to become the kind of people who offer hope, community, and lasting relationships.

This conversation will challenge the way you think about foster care, compassion, and the Church's role in caring for vulnerable children.

In This Episode

Why foster care was never designed to raise children

What really happens when youth age out of foster care

The hidden crisis facing thousands of young adults every year.

Why belonging matters more than programs

How one caring adult can change a child's future

The power of mentoring, community, and showing up

Why empowerment is more effective than rescue