Families Together

What ย do we do?

We keep families connected.

By temporarily hosting a child, a parent gets the time and support to improve their circumstances so their child doesn’t have to enter foster care.

It is an opportunity for God’s people to become the safe, loving, community vulnerable families need.

Why ย do we do it?

Flourishing requires relationship.

Our vision is to see every child flourish in the face of adversity and trauma.

Positive connection to a Gospel- centered community can heal both a parentโ€™s trauma and prevent future trauma of a child caused by state removal from their home.

How ย do we do it?

We mobilize local church communities.

By training churches to be trauma-responsive, we provide safe and effective pathways for Godโ€™s people to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Both the vulnerable families and the people who serve flourish through this relationship.

Are you a parent who needs support?

I need support

Are you a referring agency?

Submit a Request

Imagine

What if we used the model Jesus already gave us:
โ€ข to love and support the vulnerable
โ€ข to help all children flourish
โ€ข to impact our community
โ€ข to grow disciples in faith
โ€ข to keep families together
โ€ข and to change the future of child welfare
I want to make an impact
Hereโ€™s how Families Together works!

Training

We help you understand the impact of trauma on both children and adults. You’ll be prepared with the skills to love and care for the vulnerable whether you are a Host Home, a Family Mentor, or a Care Community member.

Host Home

We match a trained and loving host home to a child(ren) whose parent needs time to improve a challenging circumstance. During the short-term care, the parent receives regular updates on how the child is doing and can see the child as scheduling allows.

Care Community

A family-like network provides the Host Home with what they need to successfully care for the child to make the hosting easier. Support may include dropping off diapers, transportation, meal trains, daycare, prayer support, and much more.

Family Mentor

A Family Mentor is connected with the parent to encourage and support them through the challenging time. The mentor helps the parent feel Godโ€™s compassionate, loving presence and connects them with an extended church community to love them.

Together Again

The child returns home when the parent is ready. The family is encouraged to stay connected with the loving community that supported them. Further establishment in a church can grow their positive relationships even further so they can flourish as a family.

87% of child welfare cases are caused by preventable neglect.

We can keep families together by providing them the loving relationship and support they need to improve their circumstances before neglect or abuse can occur. We can break the cycle of generational trauma!
I want to keep families together
Story

Michelle & Odin

โ€œI look at my son now and I know that it would have been the biggest mistake of my life to give him up. Jon & Lindsay gave me my ability to be a mother, to have my son in my care and to experience the joy that I have from him being with him every day. I’m just so grateful that they were able to give me the gift of time to get well and get better so I could be the mom that I wanted to be to my son.”
-Michelle, mother helped through Families Together
more stories
Keeping Families Together

Who we seek to support

We provide temporary care of a child while a parent who needs healthy support can work through a challenging circumstance. The goal is to keep the family together by connecting them to a loving community.
โœ“ Sheโ€™s recovering from a major surgery.
โœ“ Sheโ€™s pregnant and on bed rest.
โœ“ Heโ€™s seeking short-term mental health support.
โœ“ Theyโ€™re experiencing homelessness.
โœ“ She needs in-patient drug/alcohol treatment.
i need support

Questions & Answers

Are the parent(s) losing custody of their children? Is this foster care?
Not at all! This is a voluntary process and the goal is to prevent foster care. The state foster care system is not involved, so you can choose to end the hosting at any time.
Is this a state-run program?
No. This is a community of volunteers and professionals from Christian Heritage committed to supporting you and your children.
Who are the people involved?
A trained Host Home, a Family Mentor, and other volunteers. They will work together to make sure your children are safe and cared for while you are supported during this time.
Will the parent(s) get to see their child during the hosting?
Absolutely! We encourage you and the Host Home to schedule family time as your circumstances allow.
How long does hosting a child usually last?
This depends on your situation. Average hostings span from a couple days to a few months. Itโ€™s designed to be temporary.
How long is the training for volunteers?
The training is 5 weeks long. We meet in person once a week for 3/hrs. This training class is designed for anyone serving in Families Together, no matter the role. There are role-specific breakout groups throughout the 5-week training. Anyone working directly with a child will additionally need to do a background check.
Can a child be hosted more than once?
Yes. Sometimes a parent needs additional time as they work toward wholeness. This program is built on continued relationships.
What disqualifies a parent from receiving support through this program?
Families Together serves parents who need support for a large variety of circumstances. Every case is unique and taken into consideration. Unfortunately, there are certain disqualifiers when we canโ€™t host a child including if the child is a ward of the state, if there is active domestic violence occurring, if the other parent who is listed on the childโ€™s birth certificate doesnโ€™t approve of the hosting, if the child has high levels of behavior or medical needs that a host home canโ€™t accommodate, and if the parent is seeking temporary hosting for just going out of town.

Flourish.

Help children flourish by connecting them to a loving community to keep their families together.

Ready to connect?

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I need support

Do you need temporary care of your child while you improve your situation?

request help
๏•‹

I want to serve

How is God calling your church or family to serve vulnerable families?

get involved
๎ƒณ

I want to give

Letโ€™s partner together to see every child have the chance to flourish.

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