Safe Families for Children



    Open the Door to Change

    Safe Families for Children offers volunteers an opportunity to transform their communities by reaching out to care for children whose parents are facing challenges. Right from their own home, families participate in ministry together by offering hospitality, hope and the love of Christ to a family in crisis that could temporarily jeopardize their ability to provide their children safety and stability.

    As a Safe Family, volunteers host children for a short period of time, allowing the child's parent(s) to focus on resolving the issues that led to the crisis. The average length of a child's stay in a Safe Family home is 45 days but is assessed on a case-by-case basis and can vary in length depending on the needs of child and each family. After being screened and trained by Bethany Christian Services staff, volunteers join a support team for children, helping families in crisis regain strength and stability. Because placement with a Safe Family is voluntary, parents never have to worry about losing custody of their children while they work out their problems. Safe Families is not foster care or adoption; the program is designed to reunite children with their biological parent(s) in a home that is more stable and healthy.

    Mothers and fathers going through a temporary crisis can request a volunteer Safe Family to host their children (from newborn through 17 years of age) while they work to resolve the issues that led to the situation. Most children placed with a Safe Family are 6 years old or younger. Whenever possible, children stay with a family in the same community and remain in contact with their biological parents through phone calls and visits. In addition to screening and training volunteers, Bethany staff also help biological parents identify steps to stability and offer support to them during the placement.

    Temporary crisis situations that can lead to a Safe Families placement include:
    • Sudden loss of employment or housing
    • Post-partum depression
    • Acute illness
    • Physical injury
    • Financial instability
    • Relational stress
    • Teenage pregnancy

    It is important that children and parents maintain their attachment and connection to each other as much as possible, even when they are not living under the same roof. Biological parents are encouraged to remain actively involved in their children's lives during placement and develop a relationship with the volunteer family. Bethany staff maintain contact with biological parents to encourage their path to stability and work with them to identify a time to reunite with their children.

    Safe Families has a proven record of safely and successfully helping families recover from crisis. Lydia Home Association in Chicago, Illinois, started Safe Families in 2002, and the program is now in several other cities and states. Last year, more than 300 families served as Safe Families volunteers in Chicago and the program placed more than 500 children. Bethany’s Safe Families for Children program operates in partnership with Lydia Home Association and is fully funded by the Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Family and Children’s Services.

    For More Information or To Get Involved as a Volunteer:
    • Contact us and request an information packet on becoming a Safe Family.
    • Telephone either Amy Harris or Katie Smith at 770-455-7111.
    • Attend one of our regular information meetings. Our remaining schedule of meetings for 2008 includes: Tuesday, October 28; Monday, November 11 (part of Called to Care Event at Perimeter Church); and Thursday, December 11. The meetings begin at 7 p.m. at our counseling services office on LaVista Road in Tucker, Georgia, with the exception of November 11th when we will meet at 7 p.m. at Perimeter Church in Duluth. If you would like to attend, we would love to meet you! Just give us a call at 770.455.7111 to RSVP.
    • Visit the main website for Safe Families