Safe Families for Children/Central PA

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Safe Families for Children/Central PA

Many children need a safe place to go while their parents deal with a crisis. Learn how you can provide a temporary, safe home for a vulnerable child.

Safe Families for Children
Ministering God’s Love to Families in Need

Safe Families for Children offers volunteers an opportunity to transform their communities by reaching out to care for children whose parents are facing challenges. Right from their own homes, families participate in ministry by offering hospitality, hope, and the love of Christ to families in a crisis that could temporarily je

opardize the parents’ ability to provide safety and stability for their children. As a Safe Family, volunteers host children for a short period of time, allowing the child's parent(s) to focus on resolving the issues that led to the crisis. The average length of a child's stay in a Safe Family home is about 45 days but is assessed on a case-by-case basis and can vary in length, depending on the needs of child and each family. After being screened and trained by Bethany staff, volunteers join a support network offering families temporary respite care for their children during the earliest signs of a crisis. Safe Families, who are primarily from area churches, open their homes and provide a child with a safe, nurturing place to live while his or her parents work to bring stability back to their family. Because placement with a Safe Family is voluntary, parents never have to worry about losing custody of their children while they work out their problems, and they may request that their children return at any time. Safe Families is not foster care or adoption—the goal of the program is the reunification of children with their biological parent(s) in a home that is more stable and healthy. Mothers and fathers going through a temporary crisis can request a volunteer Safe Family to host their children (from newborns through age 17) while they work to resolve the issues that led to the situation. Most children placed with a Safe Family are 6 years old or younger. Whenever possible, children stay with a family in the same community and remain in contact with their biological parents through phone calls and visits. In addition to screening and training volunteers, Bethany also offers ongoing support to volunteers as they care for children. Bethany also works with the biological parents during the placement to help them identify steps to regain stability and be reunited with their child quickly and safely.

02/19/2026

30% of the US population admits to feeling lonely every week. To make matters worse, 81% of those lonely adults also experience anxiety and depression.

When a crisis hits, many in our communities have no one to turn to for support. That's why we exist. Safe Families helps keep children safe and out of foster care while supporting parents with resources and services to resolve crises.

We believe every parent deserves the support they need when they need it most. We are here to be your family! 💙💚🩵

02/17/2026

There are so many reasons people volunteer with Safe Families, but we thought we'd list a few we hear most often from those who help keep children safe and families supported.🩵

What's your reason? Share it in the comment section!

Learn more at https://bit.ly/3OX3kMx to join the Safe Families movement!

02/12/2026

Hosting children is a large part of the Safe Families model. At times, our relationship begins with immediate an immediate hosting so a parent can prioritize getting back on their feet and providing a safe and stable home.

Other times, relationships begin with a plan for respite hosting so parents can receive the much-needed, family-like support, so NO FAMILY has to parent in isolation without a caring, compassionate community!

These hostings can last from one day to a year, depending on the individual's life circumstances. One parent recently shared with us, "Safe Families is my family now; I couldn't have stabilized my situation alone."

That is what we're all about! We want our volunteer families to become FAMILY to those we serve. To find out more, go to https://bit.ly/4rlD8M2 to learn more!

preservation

02/10/2026

We are living in fragile times when emotions and politics often collide as we live out the gospel and love our neighbor.

Historian Demetrios Constantelos noted nearly two thousand years ago that Christian compassion became known for “transcending s*x, race, and national boundaries. Thus it was not limited to equals, allies, or relatives, or to citizens and civilized men, as was most often the case in other ancient societies.”

More than ever, we need that kind of compassion. In Colossians 3:12,14, Paul urges us to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, and to bear with one another in love.

A good word for our times as we seek to come alongside isolated and overwhelmed families, surrounding them with caring, compassionate community!

02/05/2026

Churches are the backbone of the Safe Families movement and provide communities with an outlet to love their neighbors and live out the gospel.

Check out our resources and find out more about Safe Families Sunday just around the corner! Go to https://safe-families.org/safe-families-sunday/ to learn more!

02/03/2026

We are passionate about building extended family-like relationships that help achieve our three objectives.

Relationships matter! Having someone to call while facing a crisis is key to keeping children safe and families together!

Be a part of our mission and visit us at https://bit.ly/3WN3aKv to get involved!

01/27/2026

In 2026, we would be honored for our church partners to join us in hosting a Safe Families Sunday event to highlight the mission and movement of loving your neighbor and living out the gospel!

Whether you join hundreds of churches on Sunday, February 15th, or choose your own date, we desire this time to raise awareness of the many opportunities to strengthen and support isolated families in your community.

Visit https://bit.ly/3TYK3e7 to find out more information to plan your SF Sunday event!

01/22/2026

Safe Families for Children seeks to relieve an overwhelmed child welfare system by supporting families before crises lead to separation. National estimates indicate that around 37% of children will face a child-welfare investigation by age 18. About three in four substantiated maltreatment reports involve neglect, and national data show that fewer than half of children exiting foster care reunify with their birth parent or primary caregiver.

Many children remain in care for more than two years, with the average stay nearing 20–22 months. These investigations and removals reflect a system struggling to respond to deep social and economic inequities. Children placed in foster care often experience multiple moves, disrupted relationships, and poorer educational, social, and emotional outcomes.

Safe Families provides an alternative path—one that surrounds parents with caring volunteers and practical support before crisis leads to removal. When parents are supported, and children are safe, families stay together, communities grow stronger, and the public system can focus its attention where it is needed most.

Learn more at https://safe-families.org/ and begin 2026 connected with a community model that makes a difference!

01/20/2026

Families are the heartbeat of our mission.🩵

We believe NO family should be alone, especially when facing life's challenges such as unemployment, housing instability, mental health issues, urgent hospitalizations, and seasons where parents voiced: "I literally have no one to call."

This is why we exist. We believe that when parents are supported, children can thrive! Will you join us in the mission to keep children safe and families together?

Check out our website at https://safe-families.org/ and begin 2026 connected with a mission that makes a difference!

safe

01/15/2026

We hit some major milestones this year — and it’s all thanks to an amazing volunteer community that believes in what we do.🌟

Here’s to celebrating every step forward and setting our sights even higher for 2026 to keep children safe and families together!

01/08/2026

Prayer is the cornerstone of the Safe Families movement! 🙏

Will join us in 2026, praying for the families we support, the volunteers who serve, and the churches and communities that come together to keep children safe and parents supported!🩵

Go to https://safe-families.org/involvement/pray/ to find our prayer guide and calendar, and start off the year partnering with us in prayer!

01/06/2026

Because of your generosity, families across the country are entering the new year with more hope, more support, and more community!

We’re grateful to have you by our side as we continue building a world where MORE children are safe and families are together.

Check out our new national website at https://safe-families.org/ and find ways you can support families in your community.

#2026

Address

2101 N Front Street, Bldg 1, Ste 201
Harrisburg, PA
17110

Telephone

+1 800-238-4269

Website

https://www.bethany.org/support-bethany/give/give-today#?step=1

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