Safe Families for Children Metro East is a crucial faith-based nonprofit providing a safe and supportive environment for children during family crises. Serving the communities of Collinsville, Maryville, Troy, St. Jacob, Marine, and the rest of Metro East IL, their mission is to prevent child abuse and neglect by offering temporary, volunteer-hosted care and compassionate community for families who need help. By keeping families intact and empowering parents to overcome their challenges, Safe Families for Children Metro East helps protect children from being forced into the foster care system by giving primary caregivers mentoring, resources and temporary childcare assistance to get back on their feet in times of crisis. This approach empowers families through compassionate community, ensuring children grow up in stable, loving environments.
Mission and Vision
Safe Families for Children Metro East is dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect by creating a support network for families in crisis. Their mission is to provide temporary, volunteer-hosted care for children, ensuring they remain safe while their parents work through difficult situations.
Ellen Mossman, Metro East Chapter Director, emphasizes the importance of community support:
“I love Safe Families because it gives us an opportunity to share Christ with our community while keeping children safe and families together and showing a network of support to our community, which I think is really lacking … Every community has members that are experiencing crisis situations. And oftentimes, the social service agencies that serve those communities are kind of the frontline that find out about what’s going on, and what they can often offer them … they’re not really offering them community, they’re not offering them anything long term.”
It’s the intentional relationships that are built that really sets Safe Families apart from other social service organizations. The vision of Safe Families is to create a world where children are safe, and families are transformed through compassionate communities driven by intentional relationships.
Their core values include:
- Radical Hospitality: Welcoming children and families into a supportive community.
- Disruptive Generosity: Volunteers offering their time, resources, and homes to families in need.
- Intentional Compassion: Providing empathetic and loving care to vulnerable children and their parents.
Bethany Horstmann, Safe Families for Children Metro East Family Coach and Intake Supervisor, adds:
“I love Safe Families because it gives us an opportunity to live out our faith and serve our community by coming alongside families experiencing crisis situations … showing them love and support and doing life with them – letting them know they’re not alone.”
How It Works
Safe Families for Children Metro East operates through a unique community and volunteerism model to support families in crisis:
- Identifying Families in Need: Families facing crises such as homelessness, illness, or financial hardship can reach out for assistance. Referrals also come from schools, social workers, and healthcare providers.
- Volunteer Screening and Training: Volunteers, including host families, family friends, and resource friends, undergo thorough screening and training to ensure they are well-prepared to provide care and support.
- Hosting Children: Volunteer host families temporarily welcome children into their homes, giving parents the time and space they need to address their crises without fearing custody loss.
- Supporting Parents: While children are hosted, Safe Families provides parents with support through family coaches and community resources, such as job search assistance, housing, or counseling.
- Reunification and Ongoing Support: The ultimate goal is to reunite children with their families once parents stabilize their situations. Safe Families continues to offer support to ensure long-term stability and success.
This compassionate, community-driven approach prevents children from entering the foster care system unless there is no other option and strengthens families and the broader community by addressing the root causes of family crises.
By addressing the root causes of family crises, Safe Families for Children Metro East helps build a more resilient and compassionate community. Their work benefits not only the children and families they serve but also enriches the lives of volunteers and strengthens community bonds.
Success Stories
The impact of Safe Families for Children Metro East is best illustrated through the success stories of the families they have helped. Each story is a testament to the power of community support and the organization’s dedication to keeping families together.
One inspiring story involves a single mother on the brink of homelessness. With nowhere else to turn, she reached out to Safe Families. A volunteer host family welcomed her children into their home, providing a safe and nurturing environment. This gave the mother the time and stability she needed to secure housing and find employment. Thanks to the support from Safe Families, she reunited with her children and built a better future for them.
Another success story highlights the work of Family Coaches and Resource Friends. A family facing financial hardship and struggling to provide basic necessities for their children received essential items such as clothing, diapers, and food from Resource Friends. Meanwhile, Family Coaches worked with the parents to develop a plan for financial stability and provided ongoing support and resources. This comprehensive assistance allowed the family to regain their footing and provided the children with a stable and nurturing environment.
These stories are just a few examples of how Safe Families for Children Metro East makes a tangible difference in the lives of local families. By addressing immediate needs and providing long-term support, the organization helps families overcome crises and build a foundation for a brighter future.
How to Get Involved
Safe Families for Children Metro East offers numerous opportunities for community members to get involved and make a difference in the lives of local families. Here are some ways you can help:
- Become a Host Family: Host Families temporarily welcome children into their homes, providing a safe and nurturing environment while parents address their crises. This role is crucial in ensuring that children remain safe and cared for during difficult times.
- Be a Family Friend: Family Friends support both Families in Need and Host Families by offering mentoring, transportation, babysitting, and providing meals. They serve as a critical support network, helping alleviate some of the burdens faced by families in crisis.
- Be a Resource Friend: Resource Friends donate goods and services that families may need, such as clothing, diapers, and other essentials. This support helps parents get back on their feet and ensures that children have their basic needs met.
- Become a Family Coach: Family Coaches provide casework-like services and resources to Families in Crisis. They work closely with parents and Host Families to ensure children are well cared for and that parents receive the support they need to achieve stability.
- Join as a Safe Families Church: Churches can support Safe Families as a ministry by becoming Participating Churches, Lead Churches, or Community Lead Churches. These spiritual communities play a vital role in mobilizing volunteers and providing additional resources to families in need.
Online Donations
In addition to volunteering, financial contributions are essential for sustaining the operations of Safe Families for Children Metro East. Donations help cover operational costs and provide for the needs of hosted children. Community members can make online donations, which are crucial for extending the program’s reach to more families in need.
Get Involved
Safe Families for Children Metro East exemplifies the spirit of community and compassion that defines the Collinsville-Triad area. By providing a network of support through volunteerism and donations, this organization helps families in crisis stay together by overcoming challenges.
The work of Safe Families for Children Metro East not only prevents children from entering the foster care system needlessly but also strengthens family bonds and promotes long-term stability. By addressing the root causes of family crises, they help build a more resilient and compassionate community.
If you’re inspired by their mission and want to make a difference, consider volunteering as a Host Family, Family Friend, Resource Friend, or Family Coach. Churches can also get involved by becoming Safe Families Churches. Financial contributions are equally important and can be made online to support their operations and the families they serve.
For more information or to get involved, you can reach out to Safe Families for Children Metro East:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 618-353-4335
- Website: Safe Families for Children Metro East
- Donate Online: Safe Families for Children Metro East Online Donations
By working together, we can ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow up in a safe, loving environment, and every family has the support they need to overcome life’s challenges. Let’s continue to build a stronger, more connected community, one family at a time.
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