2023
The Cook's Story
Through your church's Annual Offering, the Cooks minister to NC foster children as a Baptist Children's Homes foster/adopt family.
Less than five years ago, Roger and Shanell Cook along with biological son, Jackson, were a family of three. Their household, and their lives, completely changed in 2018 when the Cooks became a trained and licensed foster family through Baptist Children’s Homes (BCH). “Fostering is about doing God’s work,” Roger shares. “This may be the only chance a child gets to see a Christian family.”
The boys and girls placed with the Cook family are among the approximately 17,000 children
in the custody of the NC foster care system. Many of them have been removed from their
homes for their well-being and safety.
A BCH case manager provides continuous support to the Cooks and works with them when
there is a child in need of a foster family. One of those children was seven-year-old Makala.
“We met her the week of Valentine’s Day and fell in love with her immediately,” Shanell says.
A little more than a year after they began fostering her, the Cooks adopted Makala making
her a permanent member of their family. And on August 1, 2019, Makala became a member of
God’s family when she asked Jesus into her heart.
One day while Roger was at work, Shanell received a call from BCH asking if they would
foster a seven-month old named Harmony. It had been years since they cared for a baby.
Shanell texted Roger to share her concerns and ask for his feedback. His response: “God is
calling, are you going to answer or let it go to voice mail?”
The Cooks have answered the call time after time. Like Makala, Harmony was fostered and then adopted by the family in July 2020. Just three months later, the Cooks fostered and adopted a teenage girl -- 17-year-old Ashley. After three adoptions, they continue to foster.
“The blessings far outweigh the challenges. Whether it’s one hour, one day, one week, one month, one year -- every child will know what love is and know who Jesus is. That is what it is all about.”
- Shanell Cook
To learn more about the Cook's journey of fostering 19 children and adopting 3 children through NC's foster system, watch the 5 1/2 minute video below.