About the ETC Contributors
Karyn Purvis, PhD.
Dr. Purvis is the director of the TCU Institute of Child Development. She has devoted the past decade to developing research-based interventions for at-risk children. She and her colleague Dr. David Cross were awarded the Heroes in Healthcare Award in 2006 by the Dallas Business Journal, and they have co-authored the best-selling adoption book, The Connected Child (2007).
Dr. Purvis is the recipient of the T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., statewide (Texas) Infant Mental Health Advocacy Award, and was honored by the National Council for Adoption as a Distinguished Fellow in Adoption and Child Development. She also serves until 2011 as the Presiding Officer of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Committee on Licensing Standards, appointed by Governor Perry in 2008. Karyn is a former foster parent, a mother of three boys and a grandmother of eight. Read more about her lifelong passion to serve children from hard places and how she has faithfully followed God’s calling in her life.
Michael & Amy Monroe
Michael and Amy Monroe are the proud parents of four children, each of whom were adopted. Together they lead Tapestry, the adoption and foster care ministry at Irving Bible Church. Since 2005, Tapestry has grown to serve hundreds of families and children through a wide variety of educational and social events, training, support groups, financial assistance and community outreach. Michael and Amy have had the privilege of personally providing support and counsel to countless couples and singles in the adoption and foster care process. They are also active leaders in the growing movement among Christian churches in America committed to serving orphans through adoption, foster care and global orphan care ministry.
In addition, Michael and Amy lead the DFW Alliance of Adoption and Orphan Care Ministries, a network of over 40 churches in Dallas/Ft. Worth actively engaged in adoption, foster care and global orphan care ministry. Michael also writes frequently for national adoption and foster care publications.
Lisa Qualls
Russ and Lisa Qualls have eleven amazing children ranging in age from 24 to four, who came to them by both birth and adoption. Their adoption journey is marked by many joys as well challenges of trauma and attachment. They are passionate about adoption, orphan care, street children, and children living with HIV. Lisa writes the blog, A Bushel and A Peck where she explores issues related to adoption and family life. She also serves with From HIV to Home. Together Russ and Lisa serve on the Board of Until Then, an organization dedicated to serving street kids. Russ uses his engineering skills to bring clean water to the most vulnerable widows and orphans by directing Until Then’s well drilling projects. Russ and Lisa earnestly believe in the power of God to heal children’s broken hearts and wounded minds, and are privileged to participate in that process with their own children.