By LANA CLIFTON
In Saline and Perry counties, over 100 children are placed in foster care on any given day. There are currently only 29 homes ready to take these children. Since May, a Saline County chapter of the group called Children of Arkansas Loved for a Lifetime (the CALL) has been trying to change that. The organization began in Pulaski County in 2006 and now has chapters in several counties around the state.
According to Tonia Griffin, a leader in the Saline County chapter as well as a foster parent, the 29 foster families are often full and can take no more children. When this happens, the Department of Human Services (DHS) must go outside the county to place the children in registered foster care homes. Griffin said this is especially difficult for the children because they are not only being removed from their families, but also from friends, schools, teachers and everything else with which they are familiar.
“Our goal is to have no waiting children, only waiting parents,” said Griffin.[more]
To achieve this goal, Griffin said the CALL works closely with DHS to provide training and to assist potential foster families with the application process. “We work hand-in-hand with DHS to help the children,” said Griffin.
As a Christian organization, the CALL receives no federal money and is, according to Griffin, completely run by volunteers.
An informational meeting will be held at New Life Baptist Church at 10765 Samples Road in Alexander on Monday, Sept. 14, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Griffin said the meeting would provide an opportunity for people interested in the program to hear testimonies from foster families and ask questions as well as receive information about the program. She said there will be a representative from DHS, a notary public and paperwork available if someone decides to enroll in the program.
To become a foster parent or adopt a child whose parents have given up their parental rights, a person must go through 33 hours of training. The CALL holds sessions called Pride Training for two weekends in a month to provide this training. The next Pride Training will be held Saturday, Oct. 10; Sunday, Oct. 11; Saturday, Oct. 24 and Sunday, Oct. 25. Volunteers conduct the free training sessions. The sessions last all day and meals are provided.
There are more steps to the process to become a foster parent including getting a physical, completing CPR training, allowing FBI and criminal background checks, getting drivers’ records checked, and allowing DHS to do two home walk-throughs and an at-length home study. Griffin said the process can take years, but with the CALL, homes can be open and ready to take children in six to eight months or less. To go through the CALL program, potential foster parents must also sign a statement that says they believe the Apostle’s Creed.
There are currently 15 churches involved in the CALL in Saline County. The organization relies on churches to provide a meeting place and support. The CALL also relies on volunteers to provide meals and childcare for training sessions. It also needs social workers to help with home studies and training.
Griffin said, since the organization began to work in Saline County, 14 homes have been trained but will not be open to receive children until sometime between November and January.
Churches, volunteers and those interested in becoming foster parents may contact Griffin at salinecounty@thecallinarkansas.org or by calling 501-847-9567. More information on the CALL is available at www.thecallinarkansas.org.
Tonia Griffin
I just now found this in my email account. Thank you so much! This is a great article. We had our information meeting last night and signed up 8 new families that will start training in Oct.
God Blesses,
Tonia Griffin