Before the beginning of the Christian Homes and Special Kids Organization, a.k.a CHASK, the National Challenged Homeschoolers Associated Network, “NATHHAN,” was founded. The NATHHAN Organization began with a telephone call from one mother of a child with Down syndrome to another mother, who was homeschooling her son with Down syndrome, in the early spring of 1990.

Acting on the Lord’s prompting to begin a network of parents helping one another, Diane Macbeth in Pennsylvania wrote Kathy Salars in Texas on March 17, 1990, thus announcing the birth of NATHHAN. In the fall of 1992, because NATHHAN’s family-base increased from two families to more than 600 families, it became impossible for the two mothers to keep up.

Tom and Sherry Bushnell offered their assistance and NATHHAN’s main office was moved to Olalla, Wash.

In the fall of 2002, CHASK began matching special kids with families free-of-charge — no agency fees and/or referral costs. So many things enter into a birth mother’s mind when she discovers that her baby may have special needs. At CHASK, we understand the fears and worries — our organization is open 24/7 to provide support to birth moms and families in need of support and encouragement. With a database full of compassionate Christian families, there is always someone available to talk with birth moms who may be considering aborting their child with special needs. Birth mothers, full of fears and disappointment, are matched with one of our families who are experienced in carrying emotionally, spiritually and physically for children with mild to severe special needs.

CHASK provides birth families with the information and resources they need to make informed decisions. It is a wonderful feeling when a mother calls our organization and discovers there really are families who want to adopt children with special needs. For so many birth families, knowing their child will be loved for who they are and the way the Lord created them is comforting. Sometimes birth families reconsider parenting their child with special needs when they realize another family is willing to love and care for their child — it gives them the hope and encouragement they need.

For the birth families who decide that cannot parent a child with special needs, we are here to find a Christian family waiting to share their life with a special child. CHASK families feel led by Jesus Christ to love and care for babies and children with special needs. CHASK now has more than 500 Christian families across the United States available to adopt children with special needs.

The offices of NATHHAN & CHASK now operate in Moyie Springs, Idaho. Later CHASK formed a pregnancy-resource center in the fall of 2007 — A Blessed Beginning — Bonners Ferry, Idaho.

NATHHAN & CHASK strive to equip and encourage families with special-needs children, assisting them in finding the will of God for their lives. We ask that you please pray for the birth moms who are facing the birth of a special-needs baby, they need Jesus’ love and direction for theirs and their baby’s life.

Because CHASK is not an agency, there are no fees for our family-to-family matching service. Our organization is a 503 c not-for-profit — we rely solely on donations from Christian families, churches and businesses.

For more information about the NATHHAN & CHASK Organizations, individuals may visit our Websites at www.Nathhan.com and HYPERLINK "http://www.Chask.org" www.Chask.org. Families interested in becoming a CHASK family may fill out an adoption application on our Website. For birth moms seeking additional information about placing their child with a CHASK family, please call 800-266-9837.