*Names were changed for confidentiality

In addition to being a Host Family with Safe Families for Children, I (Lucy) am a Family Coach. This role allows me to use my degree in Social Work to give support to the Referring Parent and Host Family. In Ohio, I was connected with a mom, Amber, who had an infant daughter, Sarah. Amber was going through rehab, and the State allowed her to use a Safe Families Host Family as Kinship Care. The couple who hosted Sarah had grown children and were empty nesters. 

My role was to be a support to Amber and ensure the host family had everything they needed to care for baby Sarah. Their church ministry lead was notified of the hosting and they contacted resource friends for help with meals, diapers, formula, and other needs. I was a liaison between the mom and the host family to help them establish good communication and visits. I helped Amber establish goals to work on during the hosting, and I was an advocate for the host family, helping them navigate through their hosting experience. I maintained regular weekly contact with both the mom and host family and had regular home visits to ensure the safety of baby Sarah. 

Amber had experienced a lot of loss and trauma in her life and she had no family or friends she could turn to for help. She was guarded and did not trust easily, but she had big dreams for her future. Amber loved to write, and one of the first interactions I had with her she gave me a 5-page letter entitled “Who I Want to Be…” At the time, her life seemed so far away from the words she had written, and many times along the way it seemed impossible, but God is in the business of redemption. It was messy, and anything but easy, but Amber’s life was changed. When I recently read her letter, I couldn’t help but cry. She was not that same person who first gave me that letter. She was truly becoming the person she wanted to be. Addiction was no longer ruling her life. God did not leave her in her mess; He had overcome. 

She could not have made it as far as she did without the support of her Host Family, Sandra, and Mike. They truly became family to her and lived out the gospel in her life in such practical ways. It was challenging, but they loved her in her struggles with recovery and spoke words of truth and love into Amber’s life. Amber’s parents had not been in her life for quite some time, but through Safe Families, she gained a family for her and Sarah. Even though the hosting ended, Sandra and Mike continue to be a support to Amber and see themselves as “unofficial family”. Sarah sees them as grandma and grandpa, and they have regular contact with her. They have every intention of staying invested in both Amber and Sarah’s lives. 

As a Family Coach, I was able to give extra support to Sandra and Mike when things got hard and frustrating. I was able to help them create good boundaries and teach and remind them of the effects of addiction and trauma in a person’s life. It was necessary to remind ourselves of where Amber had been and the baggage she was carrying, so we could extend compassion instead of judgment. In addition, I was able to be extra support to Amber. Since she already had many caseworkers, I was able to be more of a cheerleader for her, encouraging her to keep going and pushing through to stay on task so she could be with Sarah full-time. I was able to be a friend to her and go with her to some of her meetings or just listen and offer encouragement when things got overwhelming. 

It was such a blessing to be a part of this hosting and witness first-hand all the ways God worked. He used Safe Families in Amber’s life to navigate through recovery and gain a family in the process. And it was amazing to me at just how God had hand-picked Sandra and Mike as her Host Family. God knew Amber needed a Sandra and Mike in her life, and what grace he extended to her through them.

Are you interested in serving Safe Families as a family coach? Are you interested in learning more about Safe Families in general? Then join us this Sunday for a free taco lunch where you can hear Lucy share about the mission and vision for Safe Families!