Back in 2005 a group of concerned Christian citizens in our area began to see Christian families leaving the foster care system in droves, while the number of children entering the system was at an all time high, the number of available foster homes was decreasing. These citizens formed the Guardian Angels of Southwest Florida and became dedicated to providing safe and loving homes for children. Their mission is to strive to give children a sense of family and hope for a future where they will be able to grow physically, emotionally and spiritually. In keeping with this goal, Guardian Angels purchased property and began planning the development of foster care homes. With the help of Florida Baptist Children’s Home (FBCH) they have launched a new foster care program called Foster Family Homes. Residences in the Foster Family Homes ministry can serve up to six children and parents must be willing to take children of any age from infancy to age 17, allowing them to serve more children and keep siblings together.
This aspect of the program is unlike traditional foster care programs that are often able to place only one or two children in a home and allow parents to specify what ages of children they are willing to take. “Offering hurting children loving and Christian care in Foster Family Homes ministry gives them stability and a sense of belonging to a family,” said Charlie Cox, Vice President of Programs for FBCH. “It will absolutely bring comfort, security and hope to the lives of more children.” Just like regular foster parents, parents in the Foster Family Homes ministry pay for utilities and basic necessities for the children. Unlike regular foster parents, though, Foster Family Homes parents do not have to pay rent and many supplies are provided through donations and community support. “This is a huge advantage to parents who feel Christ’s calling to care for children but may lack the resources to do so,” said Kyle Luke, FBCH Panhandle Area Administrator.
The Florida Baptist Children’s Homes (FBCH) carefully screens and trains foster parents. We look for caring, Christian adults who will open up their home to a child, and where possible, to multiple children in order to provide them with the love, safety, and security that all children deserve. FBCH conducts a 10-week required training for prospective foster parents as well as providing on-going, hands-on assistance to foster parents as they serve. We use the same MAPP state-mandated curriculum to license our foster parents, and they could transfer anywhere else state-wide where MAPP is required and foster in a non-faith based organization. However, we view the principles expounded in MAPP from a Biblical perspective and filtered through the lens of our Christian faith. An example of this might be the way we view working with the offending parents. While it is true that they might have hurt or neglected their children, when safely possible we treat them with empathy and respect, extending grace, just like our Heavenly Father treats us. The principle of grace: that our Heavenly Father gives us what we need through His son Jesus Christ, and not what we deserve – death through our sin, enriches the understanding of what our foster parents must show and possess in dealing with the biological parents of the children in their care.
We view our mission as a God given responsibility, and believe God commands us to take care of the fatherless - James 1:27. The need for Christian foster homes has never been more extreme. In fact, current statistics provided by Sarasota's Safe Children Coalition illustrate that the need is paramount. The coalition, an umbrella organization with 49 licensed homes and 137 children in Manatee County, is among 128 foster homes serving 370 children in Manatee, Sarasota and DeSoto counties. They are among 7,500 foster children in the state, according to the Department of Children and Families.
If you feel led by the Lord into this rewarding ministry to children, please contact Maria Jackman, Family Support Counselor, at maria.jackman@fbchomes.org for more information. There are two upcoming orientations: March 16, 2013 for the Manasota foster homes, and March 19, 2013 for foster parent licensing information.
Written by Maria Jackman
Family Support Counselor, Florida Baptist Children's Homes (FBCH)
No comments:
Post a Comment