Safe at Home Family Partner Volunteer

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The Safe at Home program strives to support families working with ODHS Child Welfare agency in Marion Co. who have had their children removed and placed into foster care due to abuse or neglect.

Oregon requires an in-home safety plan for children/youth exiting foster care to return home and remain there. Typically, parents are asked to identify family and friends who can help monitor the in-home safety plan during trial reunification. Trial reunification is when the child welfare agency returns children/youth to their parent(s), and the state agency keeps custody until parents have met all their case goals.

Unfortunately, many of these families are experiencing broken relationships, social isolation or have another reason why identifying someone from their circle to support them in their in-home safety plan may be difficult. If a parent does not have someone identified to help monitor the in-home safety plan, children/youth cannot exit their foster care placement and return home.

The program recruits volunteers to serve in a Family Partner role to help meet the needs of the in-home safety plan. Family Partners are trained in mandatory reporting, trauma-informed practices, and culturally responsive practices.

The program aims to help reunite families, provide support and encouragement, and help families carry out the activities detailed in their safety plan.