By Jessica Kober
“Surrounding families in crisis with caring, compassionate community”
Safe Families for Children is a movement of thousands of churches and tens of thousands of volunteers across the country who are passionate about helping and caring for at-risk children and their parents. Designed to extend and strengthen the community safety net for at-risk families, Safe Families is a positive alternative to the state child-welfare system. The voluntary and non-coercive nature of Safe Families is a hallmark of the movement. Free from punitive interactions and coerciveness, parents in crisis are able to place their children (newborns through parenting teens) in safe homes, still maintaining custody of their children. The objectives of Safe Families are to 1) deflect children from the state child-welfare system, 2) prevent child abuse and neglect, and 3) help the family in crisis gain strength and stability.
Many parents struggle in their roles because of limited social supports and unavailable extended family support. Many Safe Families volunteers have become the extended family that the struggling parent never had. Additionally, by temporarily freeing parents from the daily responsibility of caring for their child, Safe Families provides parents with time to address personal issues without fear of losing custody of their child or children.
Why is Safe Families needed?
In Peoria County alone, the DCFS Child Abuse Hotline averages over 3,200 calls per year of suspected abuse. 75 percent of these calls are neglect issues. Of the remaining 25 percent of calls regarding suspected abuse, only one-third will be indicated that abuse has happened. What this tells us is that 90 percent of families in crisis and children at risk may not receive needed help, and these are only the families that are reported.
Investigating and intervening in abusive situations is the mandate of state welfare agencies. We must not assume that state welfare agencies can solve the problem of countless children unprotected in unsafe homes where there is crisis or serious stress. With the changing economy, many more families are experiencing financial crisis, unemployment, and homelessness. Others are dealing with family violence, parental drug or alcohol abuse, illness or incarceration. According to the Children’s Defense Fund, children living in families with incomes less than $15,000 are 22 times more likely to be abused and neglected than children living in families with incomes of $30,000 or more. Children with parents who abuse drugs or alcohol are four times more likely to be abused than those who do not. The number of poor children under age 18 was 12.8 million (17.4 percent), or one child in six. The number of poor children under age 5 was 4.2 million (20.7 percent), or one child in five.
During such crises, many parents are not capable of providing a safe and caring environment and are at increased risk for abusing or neglecting their children. Historically, the extended family often stepped in to support parents by taking care of children for short periods of time, and neighbors came alongside families in crisis. However, many urban families are socially isolated and their extended family is not available. The children in a family traumatized by crisis become especially at risk for neglect or abuse as their parents struggle to cope with crushing circumstances and emotions. Safe Families is here to fill the relational gaps these families have.
How to get involved with Safe Families
There are many ways to be involved with Safe Families depending on your interest and availability. Our staff is available to help you discern what your best fit is and receive the appropriate training. Safe Families has the following primary volunteer roles:
- Host Families: voluntarily host children on a temporary basis
- Family Friends: encourage and support Host Families or families in need
- Resource Friends: provide goods and services to families in need
- Family Coaches: help families in need reach their goals and provide support to Host Families
- Ministry Leads: provide coordination and support within local churches to Safe Families volunteers
To learn more about Safe Families for Children or to begin the volunteer process, please visit our website at www.safe-families.org, email us at centralil@safefamilies.net or call our local Peoria Chapter at 309-750-4568.