A partner for parents in crisis

Committed to helping you keep your family together.

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FAQs about Safe Families

As a parent, will I be able to talk to my kids?

Yes, absolutely! Safe Families encourages regular contact with your child(ren) through phone calls, text messaging, video calling, and connecting in person.

Can I have my kids back any time?

Yes. Because you maintain complete custody of your child(ren), you can ask for them to be returned to you at any time.

Why does Bethany provide these services?

No parent should be alone. Safe Families volunteers have the passion and heart to support families going through a difficult time. Parenting is tough, and we can all use extra support from time to time.

How will my child(ren) get to school?

Safe Families relies on volunteers to provide transportation to and from school, if needed. The goal is to make sure children remain in their current school. Sometimes, Safe Families can work with the school to get school-provided transportation.

Will my child(ren) be safe?

Yes. Each Safe Families volunteer goes through an approval process, which includes completing an application, background checks, and reference checks. For some roles, finger printing and home safety assessments are completed. Safe Families volunteers have a heart and passion to support families and are not compensated.

How do I qualify for Safe Families services?

Safe Families is a free service to parents who are going through a difficult time, such as unemployment, homelessness, hospitalization, rehabilitation, or incarceration. Please call your local Safe Families chapter for more information to see where we provide support.

woman enjoys dinner with the host family who cared for her twin boys while she was in crisis

Support when you need it most

When a crisis strikes, many parents rely on relatives and friends for support. But for some parents, this isn’t enough — or isn’t an option.

Safe Families strengthens and supports families by listening to parents, connecting them to supportive relationships, and sharing resources. No family should feel alone.

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Safe Families is not foster care

Understand the key differences between foster care and emergency care.

No courts are involved

In foster care, children are placed into homes through the court system. In Safe Families, parents voluntarily place children into safe homes.

Different reasons for hosting

With foster care, the courts remove a child from their home, often because of abuse or neglect. With Safe Families, parents voluntarily seek a safe place for their child due to a number of reasons including an unexpected illness, homelessness, or the lack of extended family support.

Shorter length of stay

While it may vary, the average length of stay in Safe Families is 30 days, whereas foster care can be closer to a year. This temporary care for children gives parents time to re-establish stability in their homes so the family can be reunited — stronger than ever.

Find a safe home for your children

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Shanelle’s experience with Safe Families

Resources you can trust

I don’t know where we’d be without Safe Families

I don’t know where we’d be without Safe Families

Safe Families for Children connected a first-time dad and three single friends to care for a baby during COVID

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woman looks off into the distance while her two twin boys sit on the couch next to her

A helping hand to raise two little boys

When Brijon found out she was pregnant with twins at age 18, she didn’t know where to turn.

Finding a lasting family

Finding a lasting family

Through Safe Families for Children, Lisa found a lasting family and support network.

When parents face a crisis beyond their control, their children can become vulnerable to neglect or abuse. Safe Families for Children ministry provided Lisa's kids with safety and became a lasting family.

Finding my lasting family

The Safe Families for Children model engages families, churches, and local governments to support families in crisis and keep them together.

God sets the lonely in families
When parents are going through a crisis, volunteer Host Families offer loving care to parents, watching over their children while the parents regain stability. For Rena, it meant finding family in the face of a global pandemic.

Finding family during COVID-19
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Global Headquarters

901 Eastern Ave NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503

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