Be a Host Family

Open Your Home. Open Your Heart.

If you are looking for a truly rewarding and challenging experience, consider becoming a Safe Families Host Family. You will make a lasting impression on a child in need and possibly change the trajectory of a family in crisis. Host Families serve as the backbone of the Safe Families movement. Without families opening their homes and opening their hearts, we could not care for vulnerable children in our communities.

To be a Host Family, you must be at least 25 years old, emotionally and financially stable, mature, law abiding, healthy, and active. You also must be willing to engage in a long-term friendship with a family in need, agree to not use drugs, and refrain from using profanity or engaging in other negative behavior that may impact a child.

Follow these simple steps to become a Host Family:

1. Fill out an application. You may find some of our questions quite personal, but it is important that we get to know you as well as possible. We need to make sure that all Safe Families volunteers are well equipped to handle their responsibilities.
2. Expect a home visit. When we receive your completed application, we will contact you to arrange a home visit. The visit will allow us to get to know you and your family and to walk through your home.
3. Complete our training. All Host Families are required to complete the Safe Families training. This can be done online or in person in your community.
4. Expect a background check. Depending on the state in which you live, you will need to be fingerprinted or provide information so that criminal and child-abuse background checks can be conducted.
5. Submit three references. You will need to provide us with contact information or reference letters from three people (non-family members) who know you well.

After this process is complete, a local Safe Families office will contact you when a child needs help.
Become a Host Family