Safe Families for

Children

Our founder, licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Dave Anderson, was running a foster care agency when he discovered the need for parents to have support before getting to the point of state involvement. His ‘aha’ moment happened when a mom came to him asking for help and he realized he was set up only to help after something bad happened.

What began with one family in Chicago opening their home to host children in 2003 has grown into a national movement, with over 100 chapters in 30 states. Our goal then and now is to engage families via faith communities to open their hearts and homes to care for vulnerable children.

Testimonials

"I can’t even begin to acknowledge the amazing, sacrificial generosity shown to me and my family by Safe Families. You gave me hope and helped me persevere to get whole and healthy for my children."

"We anticipated doing Safe Families to help others without realizing how much it would help us. We learned about how to be better disciples and care for His people."

"I believe Safe Families can help truly transform our community."

"We joined Safe Families because we loved the idea of Biblical hospitality and the church being the church so that we could all have a part in serving. Our children were 12 and 16, and we believed this would be a great ministry for our whole family to be involved in."

What Makes Us Different?

Faith-motivated and family-focused
Built by establishing a relationship, not a program
Parents voluntarily request a hosting and maintain full custody of their children
Volunteers are not paid – they are motivated by their compassion to serve
Volunteer-driven and professionally supported
Stable support systems are built to provide continued community

Adding value since 1991.

40,000+

children and families served since 2003

70,000+

hosting arrangements in twenty years

Over 95%

of children returned to parents or guardians

How it

Works

Host Families

are screened and approved by SFFC to host children in their homes for short periods of time.

Family Coaches

facilitate hosting by walking alongside parents to help them reach their goals, and providing support and encouragement for host families and supporting volunteers.

Family Friends

encourage and support parents in crisis or host families by providing hot meals, babysitting, transportation, and more.

Resource Friends

provide goods and services to families in crisis and volunteers as needs arise.

Ministry Leads

promote and facilitate volunteer activities in their church.

We believe the local church is the primary vehicle for community transformation.