Program areas at BCH
Residential Services - A total of 345 children and 936 families were provided residential services through this program. Residential services provide care for school age children. A safe caring environment is provided to children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned. We use an evidenced based model of care from Cornell University called CARE (Children and Residential Experiences), and a therapeutic crisis intervention model called TCI. Both focus on being trauma informed, family involved, developmental focused, ecologically oriented, relationship based, competence centered.
Christian Adoption Services - the ability to aid families with domestic, foster-to-adopt, kinship, and international adoptions. This year 43 children were placed in loving homes, 243 birth mothers were counseled and 8 birth mothers accepted Christ! Foster to Adopt Church Partnership: The number of churches partnering with BCH to impact the lives of children in their communities through foster care and adoption is growing. BCH provides training and licensing classes to couples who desire to become foster parents at participating churches. Through foster parenting they can eventually seek adoption.
Family Foster Care - We have surpassed our goal of 100 foster families and 100 children foster families this past year. At the present we have 157 foster homes and 151 children in care. We have licensed over 316 foster homes and served over 400 children. Baptist Children's Homes trains and licenses level one foster homes to care for children who have been abused and neglected. These children need a home, they deserve a family, and they desire to feel valued and loved. Our foster homes have the opportunity to be that family for a boy or girl that has no permanent home. Our foster homes serve children from zero to 18 years old. The goal is reunification with the biological family if possible. However, if it is determined that reunification is not possible, the child can live with the foster parents until they reach the age of 18 or be adopted by that foster home family. We are presently partnering with the Masonic Home and have two foster home workers on that Childrens Home campus to provide foster care for that area. We have established a partnership with the Baptist State Convention called Every Child. We are working within the churches to provide licensing, training, and developing a structure within the churches to establish wraparound services to foster parents who are licensed within the church such as providing meals, transportation, etc. to prevent foster parent burnout.Family Foster Lease Homes: We have established a program in which we lease a home owned by BCH to foster families who are interested in serving more children but do not have adequate space in their own home. We have two of these homes at the present time. They are located in Marshton, and in Franklin. This has been a successful venture and we will continue to grow the program. At the present time we are in the process of building similar homes in Cleveland County and in Hayesville.