SAFE FAMILIES FOR CHILDREN HELPS 500th CHILD IN MICHIGAN

With more than 400,000 children in foster care across the United States, Safe Families for ChildrenTM helps families in crisis, in the hopes of keeping their kids out of the foster care system. Managed by Bethany Christian Services, a leading global adoption, family preservation, and child welfare agency based in Grand Rapids, Safe Families for Children recently assisted its 500th child in Michigan.

Safe Families for Children is a unique, national movement of compassion that gives hope to families facing difficult circumstances. Safe, loving homes are provided to children whose parents may voluntarily have them cared for while they struggle with and seek to restore stability from the short-term struggles in their lives such as loss of job, postpartum depression, homelessness, or medical crisis. Founded in 2002, SFFC has partnered with churches, local community agencies, and volunteer families, as well as government organizations in more than 25 states and four countries.

Bethany’s Michigan branches have been involved with the ministry for three years and currently have more than 70 SFFC host families available in which children can be temporarily cared for. In 2015, Bethany’s SFFC ministry will be working closely with North Ottawa Community Health Systems (NOCHS) to offer critical support to women suffering from Perinatal Mood Disorders (PMD).

“Of the 370 births taking place at North Ottawa Community Hospital each year, more than 40 percent of the birthmothers score high risk on the Postpartum Depression Risk Assessment we conduct,” said Laura Bronold, certified childbirth educator and perinatal resource coordinator at the hospital. “I expect that we’ll refer approximately 30 mothers to Safe Families for Children annually. The services that Bethany offers are vital to helping these women and their families.”

Based on the success of SFFC in tandem with NOCHS, Bethany will seek similar partnerships with other healthcare providers across Michigan.

Without SFFC and the compassionate host families that open their hearts and homes, hundreds of Michigan lives would have been torn apart.

Facing homelessness, a local mother was able to rely on SFFC and a local family, who welcomed her young son into their home while she established sustainable housing. As Katie Robinson reveals, while Safe Families for Children has a lasting effect on families in crisis, it also has a lasting impact on host families—particularly helping to strengthen compassion in children.

“I was so nervous about how my children would react when it came time for our guest to leave,” Katie said. “After I explained how he missed his mother and wanted to be home with her, my daughter ran and grabbed her ‘spend’ jar and told me she wanted to throw him a ‘going home’ party. We followed her lead and allowed her to spend her own money on balloons, party hats, and cupcakes. We had a low key but very memorable party for him the night before he left, including telling our favorite part of having him with us and praying for him.”

“Safe Families for Children is essential to our community,” Katie said. “It gives our family the chance to live out our Biblical calling to support those who are in need, and it gives families in desperate need of support, a chance to get their feet back on the ground knowing that their children are being loved and cared for in a safe environment.”

Safe Families for Children is a community-supported ministry funded through donations and grants. Volunteer host families serve without compensation. For more information on Safe Families for Children, visit Bethany.org/safefamilies.