Islam’s call to care for the orphan and vulnerable child is clear and repeated in the Qur’an and Sunnah. For years, Maryland’s Muslim families gave generously to international orphan relief programs, sponsoring children in Palestine, Somalia, or Pakistan. But one question lingered: What about the children here?
By the 2000s, Maryland’s social service agencies were struggling to place Muslim children in foster homes that respected their faith. Too often, Muslim children ended up in non-Muslim homes where they lost not only family but also their connection to Islam, eating non-halal food, missing prayers, and growing up with little knowledge of their Deen.
It was Muslim social workers, alongside imams and community advocates, who first sounded the alarm. They urged families to step forward as foster parents, reminding them that kafala, the Islamic tradition of caring for a child without erasing their lineage, was a form of worship.
The first Muslim foster care programs in Maryland grew out of partnerships between local mosques and state agencies. Information sessions were held at ISB, PGMA, and Dar-us-Salaam, where social workers explained the process and imams reminded parents of the rewards. A handful of families volunteered, filling out paperwork, completing training, and opening their homes.
At first, the numbers were small. But each child placed in a Muslim home was a victory. Families described the joy of teaching foster children to say Bismillah before eating, of taking them to Jummah for the first time, of surrounding them with love and identity after seasons of instability.
Over time, advocacy grew stronger. Muslim-led nonprofits began assisting families through the foster care process, providing cultural training for agencies, and pushing for recognition of Muslim needs in the system. Some programs even offered support to foster parents, stipends, mentoring, and community networks, to help them succeed.
The impact was profound. Children who might have otherwise grown up disconnected from their roots instead found stability in homes that honored their heritage. Families who stepped forward discovered that fostering was not only a service, it was spiritual renewal, a daily reminder of Islam’s call to mercy.
The first Muslim foster care programs in Maryland revealed something powerful: that building a community is not only about mosques, schools, or conferences. It is also about caring for the most vulnerable, giving children not only shelter but faith, and living the Qur’anic command to “stand firmly for justice” in the most intimate way, through family.