Still On-Call!!

I think that's what you'd call us.  A (safe) family "on call".

Shortly after I wrote the last Safe Families update the Minneapolis area Safe Families went through a bit of restructuring.  So....knowing that it would take a bit for all that to be settled, we put Safe Families in the back of our minds....and moved on with our normal hectic but very fulfilling lives.

The past few days, however, there has been a flurry of phone calls our way.  Three actually.  The first one was for two toddlers.  That decision is mostly on the mom and where she would like her kids to be placed.  She has time.  The other one was for three older children....and it could be long term.  Jason and I prayed and knowing the full situation decided it wouldn't be the best for us to take them.

Today, we received another call.  This time from a mom sent unexpectedly to the hospital and needing care for her two sons.  This mom wasn't familiar with Safe Families and how it worked and was really scared to allow her kids to come to our home.  She feared her kids would be taken by the state and not knowing who we were she had many reservations.  I was asked to call her and talk to her.

This was my first Safe Families interaction, so I was a bit nervous.  I prayed before I made the phone call, and left it up to the Lord.  I was able to reassure her about our family and our home, and that we are here to care for her children and give them back, not to keep them.  After hearing about our home she was then scared (I believe jokingly) that they wouldn't want to come home.  I reassured her that they would definitely want to be home with their mom.  I told her that the kids would be occupied enough to not be worried about her.  They would have a little mini vacation while she was able to heal.  She said she believed she would say "yes."  But we haven't heard back.....so.....

Again...another "leaving in the Lord's hands" scenario......He knows what this mom needs and what the children need.  I've been praying for her all evening.  How scary...to be in the hospital and no one to care for your children. 

I suppose I'm writing tonight to get the word out on Safe Families.  This mom had never heard of the program.  She thought we would take her kids away.  But that is not the intent at all.  In fact it's the opposite.  We want to help her so she doesn't get to a place in her life where her children would need to be placed with the state.  We want to help her and her children.

It may take awhile for the word to get out in our area, but I hope it does.  I hope more families come forward to help.  Is there room in your home?  In your heart?  Maybe you aren't in our area.  Safe Families has offices across the US....check out their website to see if they are near you!!  God Bless!!