Faith Matters: The Religious Lives of Christian Parents Raising Children with Disabilities in the USA

One in six children in the United States has disabilities. Although faith can have an influential role in the lives of parents raising children with disabilities, little is known about how they describe their own religiosity and the strength of their faith. We asked 330 parents of children with an array of disabilities to complete two measures: the Duke University Religion Index and the Santa Clara Strength of Religious Faith Questionnaire-Short Form. Parents tended to report very high levels of religiosity and strength of faith, though their views varied by demographics, child characteristics, and whether their church had a disability ministry. Our findings emphasize the importance of attending to both outward religious practice and inward faith strength when supporting families of children with disabilities.