About Us
WANT TO START A NEW CHAPTER?
If you are interested in starting a chapter, please visit our page HERE.
Founded in 2003, Safe Families for Children surrounds families facing a crisis with caring, compassionate community. We are a volunteer-driven nonprofit that provides hope and support to families in our local communities. Located in over 120 cities across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Hong Kong and beyond, we are motivated by faith to keep children safe and families together.
In many situations, parents or guardians may be challenged in providing a safe and caring environment for their children, putting them at risk of abuse and neglect. In the past, extended family or neighbors stepped in to help families in crisis by caring for their children for short periods of time.
Today, however, many families are socially isolated, and their extended family is nonexistent, or unavailable or unable to help. Adding to the problem is the fact that most state child welfare agencies are required under law to intervene only those children who suffer blatant abuse or neglect, leaving thousands of children at risk.
Safe Families for Children keeps families together. Research shows that children who grow up in their own families leads to better outcomes in terms of sense of identity, educational attainment, overall stability, and employment. The goal is family preservation. We believe when parents are supported and strengthened with intentional relationships, children can thrive and families can flourish!
Vision
Creating a world where children are safe and families transformed through radically compassionate communities
Mission
Safe Families for Children hosts vulnerable children and creates extended family–like supports for families through a community of devoted volunteers who are motivated by compassion to keep children safe and families together.
Our Core Values
Radical Hospitality
Disruptive Generosity
Intentional Compassion
Our Objectives
The three objectives of Safe Families for Children are:
- Keep children safe during a family crisis such as homelessness, hospitalization, or domestic violence in an effort to prevent child abuse and/or neglect.
- Support, stabilize, and strengthen families facing crisis by surrounding them with caring, compassionate community.
- Reunite families and reduce the number of children entering the child welfare system. We seek to be an alternative to foster care, where appropriate.
Our Reach
There are 100+ chapters all across the country. From Alaska to Florida and California to Maine, we work with a variety of faith-based nonprofits to come alongside isolated families facing hardships to keep kids safe and families intact.
Who Are We?
Safe Families volunteers are…
- Host Families: Screened and approved by Safe Families, Host Families take in children for short periods of time.
- Family Friends: They provide support to Families in Need (e.g., mentoring and transportation) and Host Families (e.g., babysitting and providing meals).
- Resource Friends: They provide various types of goods and services to Families in Need to help parents get back on their feet.
- Family Coaches: They are trained to provide resources and casework-like services to Families in Crisis. They also ensure that kids are well cared for in Host Family homes.
- Safe Families Churches: These are spiritual communities that support Safe Families as a ministry of their church. There are three church levels: Participating Church, Lead Church, and Community Lead Church.
