About Safe Families for Children
What is Safe Families?
When crisis strikes, many of us rely on relatives and our church family for support. But for some parents, there is no safety net. They are alone. Safe Families for Children exists to change this by building loving partnerships with families from the local church community.
How Safe Families Works
Volunteer families, prompted solely by compassion, build relationships with at-risk families. This allows parents to have the time and space to work out their problems without having to worry about losing parental custody. A professional staff person at Building Families for Children takes the call for help, collects information on the needs of the family and makes a match with available volunteers. Professional staff also facilitate the introductions and completing of paperwork between the placing parent and the host family or family friend.
Hallmarks of a Safe Family Model
* Biological parents maintain full custody
* Volunteer families are extensively screened, trained and supported
* Six week average length of stay (ranging from 2 days to a year)
* Average age of child in SFC care is 4.5 years old
* Close working relationship between volunteers, the local church, biological family and the referring organization.
* Commitment to reunite the family as soon as possible.
Areas where Chapelgate can help
* Host Family: Families that open up their homes to care for children
* Family Friend: Families that could provide babysitting or occasional childcare for host families, meals or transportation
* Resource Family: Families that can donate diapers and clothing whenever a need arises or donate services (for example, a member that is a dentist who is willing to do free cleanings for a Safe Families child)
* Financial Supporter: Families that could financially support Safe Families through monetary donations
By demonstrating biblical hospitality, Safe Families for Children returns the church to the forefront of caring for orphans and widows, where historically the church was the leader.
For more information click here.
For questions about volunteering, feel free to contact these Safe Families for Children volunteers at Chapelgate:
Becky Loomis
Lauren Obrien
Safe Families is operated in Maryland by Building Families for Children
7161 - A Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia, MD 21046
410-872-1050 www.buildingfamiliesforchildren.org