Sometimes families hit a hard season.

Maybe your car broke down and you can’t get to work. Maybe your child needs a bed you can’t afford right now. Maybe you’re facing a medical crisis, struggling with housing, or simply trying to hold everything together without much support around you.

Or maybe nothing dramatic happened at all.

Life just got hard.

If you’re a parent in Nebraska wondering, “Is there somewhere I can turn for help?” the answer is yes.

At Christian Heritage, our Families Together program exists to help families become safer, stronger, and more connected during difficult seasons.

Sometimes that means meeting a practical need.

Sometimes it means connecting you with someone who can walk alongside you.

And sometimes it means providing a safe place for your children to stay temporarily while you work through a crisis.

But underneath all of it is one goal: we don’t want families to have to face hard seasons alone.

What kind of help can Families Together provide?

Every family’s situation is different, so we start by listening.

Our Families Together program uses CarePortal, a digital platform that helps connect families with people in their communities who may be able to help.

Generally, the needs we respond to fall into three areas:

Help with a practical need

Sometimes one practical problem creates an incredible amount of stress.

Maybe your child needs a bed.

Maybe you need a car seat.

Maybe a broken appliance or car repair is creating a bigger problem for your family.

Through CarePortal, we can share approved needs with churches, businesses, and community members who may be able to help.

We can’t promise that every request will be met, but we’ll talk with you about your situation and see what options may be available.

And while the practical need matters, our hope is that something else happens too:

You get connected to people who care.

What if I need more than practical help?

Sometimes what a parent needs most isn’t something someone can deliver to the front door.

It’s someone to walk alongside them.

Families Together offers parent mentoring for parents who could benefit from a healthy, consistent relationship during a difficult season.

A mentor isn’t there to judge you, tell you how to run your life, or pretend to have all the answers.

They’re there to listen, encourage you, help you work toward goals, and be another person in your corner.

For a parent who has been trying to handle everything alone, simply having someone consistently show up can make a meaningful difference.

What if I need someone to care for my children temporarily?

There are times when a parent faces a crisis and needs a safe place for their children to stay for a short period of time.

Maybe you’re receiving medical treatment.

Maybe you’ve suddenly lost housing.

Maybe you need inpatient treatment.

Maybe you’re dealing with an emergency and don’t have relatives or trusted friends nearby who can help.

When other options aren’t available, Families Together works to connect you with a trained volunteer host home who will care for your children temporarily while you work through the immediate crisis.

This is not foster care.

Hosting through Families Together is voluntary. You remain the parent, and your children do not enter state custody simply because they’re being hosted.

The goal is to give you a little breathing room while making sure your children are safe and cared for.

Then, whenever possible, we work toward getting you and your kids back together quickly.

Will asking for help get my kids taken away?

We understand why a parent might be afraid to ask this question.

Reaching out to Christian Heritage for help does not put your children into foster care.

Families Together is a voluntary prevention program. Its purpose is to come alongside families and build support before problems become bigger whenever possible.

Our first response isn’t: what’s wrong with this parent?

We’d rather ask: what’s happening in this family’s life, and what kind of support could help?

There is an important safety distinction: Nebraska law requires anyone who has reason to believe a child is being abused or neglected to report that concern. But simply needing help, experiencing financial hardship, or reaching out because your family is struggling is not the same thing as asking for your children to enter foster care.

If you need support, we’d rather have the conversation than have fear keep you from asking.

Do I have to be a Christian to get help?

No.

Christian Heritage is a Christian organization. Our faith in Jesus shapes why we do this work, and much of Families Together is built around mobilizing local churches and Christians to care for families in their communities.

But you do not have to be a Christian to receive help from us.

You don’t have to attend church.

You don’t have to participate in religious activities.

You don’t have to share our beliefs.

And support isn’t conditional on you becoming part of a church or doing anything religious.

We serve families regardless of their faith, beliefs, or background.

At the same time, because many of the people we mobilize come from local churches, you may meet Christians who serve because their faith calls them to love their neighbors. Our hope and expectation is that every person you encounter treats you with dignity, respect, and genuine care.

We would love for every family to discover a safe, welcoming community around them.

But relationship is offered, not forced.

Why does connection matter so much?

Sometimes a family needs a bed. But eventually, the bed wears out.

Sometimes a family needs a car repaired. But eventually, something else breaks.

If every crisis has to be solved by finding another organization, a family can still be left facing life largely alone.

We want something different.

Our hope is that a practical request can sometimes become the beginning of a relationship.

Maybe the people who deliver your child’s bed become familiar faces. Maybe a mentor becomes someone you trust. Maybe a host family becomes part of your support system. Maybe you meet people in your community you never would have known otherwise.

We believe families are stronger when they have safe people around them.

Christian Heritage can’t personally become that community for every family. But we can help make connections.

What happens when I ask for help?

You don’t need to know which part of Families Together you need before contacting us.

You don’t need the right terminology.

And you don’t need to have your whole situation figured out.

Just tell us what’s going on.

We’ll listen, learn more about your situation, and talk with you about what kind of support may be appropriate and available. If we can’t help, we will point you toward another resource that better fits what your family needs.

The first step is simply reaching out.

Asking for help can be the beginning of something better

Parents are used to being the ones who figure things out.

So admitting “I need some help right now” can be difficult.

But families were never meant to do life completely alone.

A difficult season doesn’t define your family.

And needing support doesn’t erase everything you’re already doing to care for your children.

Sometimes a little practical help can relieve the immediate pressure. Other times, one relationship can make life feel less isolated. And what we’ve found is that no matter your circumstances, loving people around you will help keep a difficult season from becoming a crisis.

If your family needs help, talk to us.

You don’t have to know exactly what you need.

Just share your story with us. That’s a perfect place to start. 

There is hope for your family and your future.