Ministry Spotlight: Safe Families for Children
As we continue sharing resources during Child Abuse Awareness Month, we want to highlight the work of another one of our incredible ministry partners, Safe Families for Children.
Safe Families for Children is a national movement of compassion that gives hope to families in crisis by providing temporary care for children and relational support that helps families move toward stability.
The three goals of Safe Families are child abuse prevention, child welfare (foster care) deflection, and family support and stabilization. In St. Charles County, most of the families served are facing homelessness or other significant hardships such as job loss or hospitalization. Volunteer host families provide temporary homes for children while parents navigate these difficult circumstances. Alongside hosting children in their homes, volunteers help expand a family’s circle of support through relational care and practical connection. Safe Families believes everyone should have a community of support in times of crisis.
Historically, in the Greater St. Louis area, 98% of parents who use Safe Families services have their children returned to them and avoid foster care. Many families also remain connected with their host families long-term, forming ongoing relationships that function as an extended family. Host families themselves often share that their own lives have been deeply impacted as they serve. Safe Families creates connections between people who may have never met otherwise and brings awareness to the realities of poverty.
There are several meaningful ways the community can support this work and serve families in crisis.
Host Families temporarily welcome children into their home while a parent works through a crisis. The average stay is 2–4 weeks. The approval process includes an application, references, background checks, including fingerprinting, online training, and a home safety assessment.
Family Friends support both host families and parents by offering help such as babysitting, transportation, mentoring, assistance with resources, or simply being a consistent, supportive presence. The approval process includes an application, references, background checks including fingerprinting, online training, and an interview.
Resource Friends provide tangible support such as diapers, meals, clothing, and other needed items for families in crisis.
There is an upcoming Info Meeting via Zoom on May 7th at 7 pm for those who would like to learn more about Safe Families and ways to get involved. Register for the info meeting by clicking this link.
https://bethany.org/locations/us/mo/st-louis/events/sffc-info-meeting-5-7-26-5-7-2026
To learn more or get involved, visit:
bethany.org/sffc
https://www.facebook.com/sffcStLouis
Please also keep Safe Families and the children and families they serve in your prayers this month.
Blog written by Christina Bollinger
Local Outreach Communications Volunteers
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and therefore, it is an important opportunity to highlight the invaluable work of one of our local community partners: The Child Advocacy Center of Northeast Missouri.