Village Bible Church || Aurora | Indian Creek | Sugar Grove | IL

Safe Families for Children is an opportunity for volunteers to have a powerful impact in the lives of others while practicing biblical hospitality, extending the love of Christ to people in need — all from their own home!

Volunteers open their homes to children whose parents are experiencing a short-term emergency, such as hospitalization, or a longer-term crisis, such as drug abuse. Designed to extend and strengthen the community safety net for at-risk families, Safe Families is a positive alternative to the state child welfare system, allowing parents to work out their problems without having to worry about losing custody of their kids. The program's goal is to reunite children with their biological parent(s) in a home that is more stable and healthy, in part because of the contribution of the Safe Families intervention.

Parents experiencing a temporary crisis can arrange for their children (newborn through 16 years old) to stay with Safe Families volunteers while they address the issues that led to the instability in their lives. Children are matched with families in their own community whenever possible, and placements average from one day to three months. During that time, Safe Families caseworkers are available to provide volunteers with support and answer any questions they might have.

Biological parents maintain custody during the placement and are encouraged to be actively involved in their children's lives, as well as develop a relationship with the volunteer family. Safe Families caseworkers keep in close contact with the parents and the referring organization to determine when families can be reunited.

Safe Families is an alternative to child welfare custody, significantly reducing the number of children entering foster care. In fact, the program’s effectiveness has caught the attention of state officials, who are impressed that our volunteers serve without any financial compensation. State child protection workers routinely encourage parents to place children with Safe Families as part of a safety plan in order to avoid the state taking custody of their children.

Safe Families is about more than temporary child care, however. It's also about resurrecting biblical hospitality and demonstrating to the world that the Christian family, in obedience to Christ, is a powerful source of change in our society. We encourage you to be part of it!

Your Opportunity:

Safe Families brings many opportunities to help children who are at risk.  Much like a changing to a healthier diet and beginning to exercise helps to reduce the risk of health problems, Safe Families acts as a very effective medicine to preventing children from becoming orphans.  Isn't that a great way to be involved in orphan care?  And Safe Families can utilize your skills and passions and give you an opportunity to care for at-risk children without a life-long commitment.

Safe Families Fox Valley needs:

• families to volunteer to be a safe family to provide a safe place for children as needs arise. 
• many other components for families and individuals that want to serve; such as errand runners, babysitting, organizing donated items to our 'Closet' (a storage facility we have with lots of children's items we give out for the placements)
• professional services, such as doctors, dentists, hair care professionals, mechanics, electricians, handymen - you name it. They always have needs and for people willing to provide their services for a reduced rate or pro-bono for a Safe Family. 

"We can certainly get folks that might not be willing to take in a child plugged in as well!"  I think that means there's probably a role for you.

Interested?  Attend the Safe Families Informational Seminar this Saturday, 2/27, from 10 am - 1pm.  Call the church office if you're interested in attending.