(Editor’s note: April is Child Abuse Prevention Month.)
In 2020, Sherburne County Health & Human Services entered into a partnership with Safe Families for Children, a nonprofit organization that seeks to provide support to families in order to prevent serious issues such as child abuse and neglect.
Sherburne County HHS staff had witnessed a successful launch in Anoka County and instantly knew that it could benefit local families and children. Both Sherburne and Wright counties decided to form their own partnerships with the organization and it drew nearly immediate interest.
Sherburne’s kickoff included a pair of community listening sessions with local churches where congregants could hear about the mission of Safe Families For Children.
“We received a wonderful turnout and had a number of churches come forward to identify members interested in being a host home to provide short term care for children and other volunteers willing to be a circle of support for the host home,” says Sherburne HHS Child and Family Services Manager Jodi Heurung-Dick.
“The circle of support would do things such as help with transportation, provide some child care, be the encourager and support of the parent or provide meals.”
But like nearly everything else in 2020, Covid threw a wrench into the plans and the early momentum faded as the pool of volunteers never materialized.
“Unfortunately since COVID hit, we have been unsuccessful with identifying volunteers from our community to come forward and be a part of the effort,” Heurung-Dick added.
That’s why HHS is working with Safe Families for Children to re-boot the program, as the need for family support is ever increasing. In 2020, there were 123 children in out-of-home placement in Sherburne County; through less than four months in 2021, there are already 65 placements.
While many individuals lean on family members during a time of need, the truth is that often people no longer have the support systems in place.
“We are a mobile civilization and sometimes people are in communities where they don’t have a support network,” says Amy Peterson, Community Coordinator for Safe Families For Children in Anoka, Sherburne and Wright Counties.
“We stand in that gap of where families are at and before social services can become involved. That allows us to meet families where they are at today and focus on prevention.”
Once volunteers come forward for the program, Safe Families for Children provides the necessary training, as well as a background check and home assessment. The process is roughly similar to foster care, but in this case parents maintain custody and it is voluntary. Instead, the focus is to provide support so parents are able to access the support they need to become the parents they want to be.
“Sometimes it’s being the cheerleader for the parent, loving and caring for their child while they obtain the help to address an addiction or a mental health issue,” says Peterson, who also has access to providers who will help with needs such as dentistry.
“Our goal is keeping families intact, so we walk alongside the parent in a supportive role.”
The program is active in 17 Minnesota counties and boasts in excess of a 99% success rate in keeping families together.
One of the reasons for the incredible success rate is because the organization and its volunteers take the time necessary to get to know family stories and then to ensure the match with a volunteer is going to be successful.
“I don’t choose who serves which family, but I am witness to everyday people stepping up and being amazed at the commonality found between them and the family they serve – maybe they were raised by a single parent, have overcome an addiction or simply want to be a part of change in their community,” says Peterson. “If anyone is unsure of how they can serve, I can find a place for you!”
The process of matching volunteers with families is at the crux of the program.
“We sit down and ask, ‘where would you like to see your family’ and that is when the story unfolds,” says Peterson, who notes that her group utilizes family coaches to be effective and ensure that the family is being best supported.
“It’s two families coming together and our volunteers choose who they want to serve because it has to be a fit for both sides to be effective.”
The families sit down together at a “parent meeting” where everything from bedtime to favorite foods, allergies and faith are discussed. It is simply a matter of respecting the parents and the volunteers and allowing them to enter the relationship on equal playing fields. “
“We are humbled that a parent would choose us to love and care for their most precious gift, their child,” says Peterson.
There is no requirement to be a member of the faith community to either provide or receive support.
“We want to mobilize our local churches — we’re here to help the church be the church outside the four walls. We are not another program for the church to run as we provide training and support to all who volunteer with Safe Families,” adds Peterson.
As her department works hard to address issues of neglect and abuse, Heurung-Dick knows that ultimately it’s better for everyone involved if they can assist in identifying the issues earlier and work with families before child protection receives a report and needs to respond.
“I can understand how families would be hesitant to call the county or child protection because of a fear of what might happen,” Heurung-Dick says. “But we believe that having this service available in our community would significantly change the trajectory for some families in our community.”
Peterson and Safe Families for Children are ready to “stand in the gap” and be an integral part of prevention of child abuse and neglect. All one has to do to volunteer or get more information is to send her an email at apeterson@safefamilies.net. From there, a fulfilling and life changing opportunity awaits both volunteers and family in need of support.
“It’s our goal to change the trajectory of the whole family’s life,” says Peterson, who notes that most of the volunteers have full-time jobs. “We need people with the capacity to love to step forward and help restore these support networks.”
In the end, the chance to positively impact the entire community is why Heurung-Dick is convinced that her work to recruit volunteers will pay dividends.
“Having options like this available in our community would be a significant step towards preventing child abuse and neglect in Sherburne County,” she says. “Child abuse prevention is a community problem and finding solutions depends on the involvement of people throughout the community.”
