ConnectCare
Families need to be together.
But sometimes things change: a single parent has to enter the hospital…a father loses his job and can’t support his family… a family loses temporary housing or other basic necessities. When these happen we try to help the family through difficult times and see them reunited as soon as possible. When a young mother decides to place her infant for adoption, ConnectCare Families are called on to provide the constant care and attention so critical to a child’s emotional development and to give him or her a good start in life. Our ConnectCare program allows the natural or adoptive parents to retain legal custody of their child. While the child is in care, a social worker works with the child’s parents to set goals and to find help in solving the problems that necessitated placement. ConnectCare families are basically like other families: they’re not smarter or richer or better parents. They are just willing to open their home to a child for a while. They take in children, love them, care for them – all the time preparing the children for the day when they will return to their natural or adoptive parents.
If your family is in need of help or if you would like to become a ConnectCare family, please contact Sarah Gentry by email by phone at (314) 968-2216.
We believe that regardless of race, sex, or religion, families deserve stability and hope for a future. CFS strives to provide resources to the community that will reinforce the family.
What Is ConnectCare?
THE MISSION
ConnectCare’s mission is to provide loving care for children while connecting families with resources and hope.
HOW DOES ConnectCare WORK?
The ConnectCare program’s primary goal is to provide a safe and loving environment for children whose family is in crisis. The care is voluntary, temporary and occurs outside of the child’s home and in the home of one of our Care Families, a licensed foster family. Because the program is strictly voluntary for parents there is no chance of parental rights being terminated.
When a parent finds themselves in crisis – whether it is financial, emotional, physical or otherwise – and they need temporary care for their children, they may contact Christian Family Services, Inc. and speak with a social worker. The worker will then assess the situation and determine if we have a Care Family available to care for their child(ren).
When a child comes into ConnectCare, we will work closely with the child’s parent to connect them with resources. It is our desire to help that parent find the stability he/she needs to be able to parent again. We work toward reunification of parent and child as soon as possible.
Can ConnectCare help You?
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Are you feeling overwhelmed, unable to cope, and not sure where to turn?
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Are you needing hospital care but have no extended family to rely on for child care?
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Are you not sure where you will sleep tonight and need a safe place for your child to be?
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Are you in an abusive situation and in fear of your or your child’s safety?
There are many reasons why you may need temporary care for your child. And though it might feel like your last resort, we realize it is never an easy choice to place your child in a stranger’s home.
Rest assured your child will be in a safe and loving environment during their stay with a Care Family. Our Care Families are rigorously evaluated including background screenings and fingerprints.
Please know we will do all that we can to help connect you with resources and be your advocate. Most importantly, you are never at risk of losing legal custody of your child while they are in the ConnectCare program.
ConnectCare is strictly a voluntary program and though our average length of care is 2 to 4 weeks, you may request to have your child back in your care at any point.
Who Are Care Families?
Who Are Care Families?
Who Are Care Families?
Who Are Care Families?
All of our Care Families are licensed foster families in the state of Missouri. A CFS social worker will walk you through the licensing process to guide you through training and answer any questions you may have along the way.
Once you are a licensed Care Family (foster family), we will place you on our list of families to call when a need arises for a temporary placement of a child. You will always reserve the right to decline a placement of a child if the timing does not presently work for your immediate family. The health of your family is imperative to the health of our ConnectCare Program. The average length of stay for a child with a Care Family is one month.
FAQ
1. Can the ConnectCare Family adopt the child?
The goal of ConnectCare is to reunite children with their parents. Our hope is that their home will be more healthy and stable than before the child came into care. Regardless, we make it clear that under no circumstances will parents lose custody of their child while in ConnectCare. This means the children we serve in our ConnectCare program are not available for adoption.
2. How long does a child usually stay with a Care Family?
The average length of stay for a child is about 4 weeks. There are times when placements may need to be extended but priority is given to the Care Family. An extension would only be allowed if it was in the best interest of both the Care Family and the child.
3. What ages of children does the ConnectCare program serve?
ConnectCare generally serves children ages birth through 5 years of age.
4. What type of situations do the children come from?
The children come from families in the midst of a wide range of crises. It could be the parent is struggling with unemployment or homelessness, emotional distress or financial difficulties. There are times when a parent is suffering from poor physical health and need time to heal and gain strength. No matter the circumstance surrounding the crisis, the child(ren) involved need stability, safety, and love. Acceptance of the child into the ConnectCare program is based on availability of a Care Family when placement is being requested.
5. What type of contact will the Care Family have with the biological parent?
We encourage contact between the parent and the Care Family. The biological parent maintains full custody at all times and therefore we feel it is important to encourage the parent to stay connected to their child through visits or phone calls. However, even if contact between the biological parent and the Care Family is minimal, the parent is required to check in with his/her CFS social worker at least twice a week.