Greater Rockford Chapter

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Become a Safe Families Church

Safe Families for Children is a movement of the Church to care for the most vulnerable people group in our society: our children and their families. The Church is commanded to care for orphans and widows and is best equipped to meet this need. Additionally, the church has the most experience as it has been caring for vulnerable children throughout history (until foster care was created in the 19th century). Safe Families is a vehicle to prevent child abuse and return the church back to the forefront of caring for children.

The Safe Families (SF) ministry operates as a part of the church’s outreach—as a ministry of the church. The SF Ministry Lead, the point person for the SF ministry in the local church, reports to you or committee chairperson and to SF staff. The Ministry Lead will need the support and accountability that these reporting relationships provide. It is also important that you, the church leadership, and other staff have input and approve the growth targets that the SF Ministry Lead and his/her ministry leadership team develops.

Our Mission: Safe Families for Children hosts vulnerable children and creates extended family-like supports for desperate families through a community of devoted volunteers motivated by compassion to keep children safe and families intact.

Facts
• Host Families are screened, background checked, and trained
• Children in hosting homes are monitored by Family Coaches
• Average stay is 44 days
• 70% of children are 5 years old and below
• Referral Sources: schools, homeless and domestic violence centers, substance abuse, hospitals, child welfare

Safe Families benefits the children in care, the parents in crisis, the host families in compassion, and the church in service, outreach, and spiritual growth.

Levels of Commitment
Participating Church
Commits to regularly informing their members about Safe Families and encouraging them to participate.

Lead Church
Recruits volunteers (Host Families, Family Friends, Family Coaches), supports their volunteers who serve, and reaches out to the placing parent.

Community Lead Church
A community lead church assumes the duties of participating and lead churches and are willing to include volunteers not attending their church to participate in their SF network.