Safe Famlies for Children - Family Coach

Save to Favorites

Safe Families for Children(tm) - Give a Struggling Family a Helping Hand

What if we could stop child abuse before it starts? A family's safety net was their neighbors instead of the government? It wasn't a shameful experience for at-risk families to ask for help? Single moms were connected to support instead of socially isolated? Local government, non-profits, and churches worked together to help families in crisis? Parents could get help without having to stop being parents? You didn't have to "qualify" to be cared for?

The goal of the SFFC ministry is to offer support in a time of need and reunite children with their families in a stronger home environment. This temporary care for children in need gives parents time to establish stability in their homes. Parents voluntarily place their children with a Host Family because of any number of challenges they are facing, such as:

• Sudden unemployment or loss of housing
• Financial difficulties
• Postpartum depression
• Acute illness or hospitalization
• Financial instability
• Domestic violence
• Drug or alcohol addiction
• Incarceration of one parent

Safe Families for Children is an alternative to foster care. In foster care, children are placed into homes through the courts and foster families receive compensation for their care. Through SFFC, parents voluntarily place their children with our volunteer host families who receive no compensation.

Responsibilities of a Volunteer Family Coach

The Family Coach facilitates communication and the relationship between the Safe Families Host Family and the placing family while offering support to these families and communicating with Safe Families staff to ensure that Safe Families for Children is supporting and meeting the needs of our volunteers and the families we serve.

Responsibilities May Include:

• Visiting the Host Families home while the Host Family and the child being hosted are home at least once a week for the first month of a hosting.

• Visiting the Host Families home 1-2 times a month after the first month of the hosting.

• Supporting both families by listening and learning about their needs throughout the hosting

• Updating Safe Families staff on hostings you are coaching

Family Coaching offers a very rewarding volunteer experience with flexible scheduling. This is a chance to be a part of a social movement serving families and children in your community and create a positive impact in a child's life.