How can you help?
Safe Refuge for Children + Families (SRCF), an exciting community – church partnership, offers a hope-filled option for families in crisis by providing safe, secure, pre-approved temporary homes for children until the family crisis is resolved. In addition, SRCF expands the community safety net by providing parents in need with mentoring relationships and tangible support during times of crisis.
Returning the church to the forefront of caring for children and families in crisis, SRCF provides a tangible way for church members to love their neighbors, practice hospitality, extend Christ-like compassion, and proclaim mercy to the most vulnerable in our communities.
Although the church community is the primary resource in the Safe Refuge movement, SRCF is a team effort, not an individual ministry. Calling upon volunteers in local churches, the program extends and strengthens community services for families and children at risk.
Be a Host Family
Interest Form: Fill out the interest form on this site or contact our office directly at 925.566.8050 to request an application packet.
Home Assessment: As soon as we receive your completed application, we will contact you to set up a time for a home visit. This visit gives us an opportunity to get acquainted and also allow our staff to visually confirm that your home is a safe refuge.
Training: Training provides opportunities for personal growth that can help make your experience with Safe Refuge more rewarding both for you, your family and for children who may come into your home.
Background Check/Fingerprinting: Every person over the age of 18 in your household will be required to have a Live Scan (an inkless electronic fingerprinting & background check). Information how to do this and where to go is included in your application packet.
Letters of Recommendation: It is our policy to recruit Safe Refuge volunteers whose lives reflect stable personal values and morals. Thus, volunteers need to provide three letters of reference from people who can attest to this aspect of their lives.
Be a Safe Refuge Church
Safe Refuge Churches provide a vital role in our community of caregivers offering support and resources to volunteer families. The process of launching a Safe Refuge ministry in your church is simple and will add a sense of richness and relevance to your community of faith.
If your church is interested in becoming a vital and vibrant contributor in your community, follow these simple steps and get started today:
- Contact our office or our interest form including a staff contact that will represent the volunteer ministry.
- Meet with local Safe Refuge for Children + Families agency to select ministry launch date and your plan to share Safe Refuge with your congregation. (All churches).
Be part of the Safe Refuge Circle of Friends
Safe Refuge for Children + Families is committed to supporting parents and bringing love and healing into families that are often isolated and alone. By becoming a part of the Circle of Friends, you come alongside Host Families by offering necessary support as they host a child(ren) in their home.
Responsibilities of the Circle of Friends may include, but are not limited to:
- Providing support and encouragement to host families during hostings
- Help with transportation
- Supporting Host Families with children placed in their homes by providing meals, babysitting, tutoring, etc.
Be a Safe Refuge Ministry Lead
The ministry lead is the main liaison between the Safe Refuge for Children + Families office and his or her church community. The ministry lead is responsible for encouraging and recruiting volunteers to support one another in the shared mission of serving the families who come to SFFC for help. If you are interested in serving in this way, please fill out our interest form or call the office directly more information on next steps.
Be a Safe Refuge Coach
A Family Coach is assigned to each host family. The family coach will visit regularly and serve as a support to the family as they encounter the joys and struggles that come with opening their home to a child and building a relationship with the parents in crisis. They will also assist in gathering the support of Family Friends in their local church to come along side the host family and the family in crisis with any assistance they might need. Please fill out our interest form or call the office directly to request an application packet.
For more information or to submit a Host Family or volunteer application, contact us.
