On Tuesday night, Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church hosted and facilited an interest meeting for families considering foster care here in Pierce County. With heart, passion, and vision, church leaders from Chapel Hill invited surrounding churches to encourage their members to consider getting involved in helping foster children in our local community. For a first time event, it was a great success. Approximately 25 interested families came to hear more about the need for foster families and foster/adopt families to take children into their homes that have been removed by Child Protective Services. Chapel Hill generously facilitated the evening inviting representatives from the Department of Social and Health Services and 5 private agencies including Youth for Christ. Linda Thomas, Area Manager for DSHS spoke of the need for more families and what the Department faces in trying to meet the placement need of hundreds of children in Pierce County. In addition, each of the private agencies shared information about their agency and the types of children that are served.
This is exactly the type of vision we love to see coming from the church. Recently, Youth for Christ was awarded a grant to provide a part-time person to begin connecting more closely with local churches in the area. Together, as a Christian community, we can make a huge difference in the lives of foster children.
Thank you to Chapel Hill for taking the initiative to sponsor such a great event. We look forward to many more events just like this. By Jeff Clare
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About 25 years ago, there were teenagers who had been at Remann Hall for charges against them. Sometimes parents did not want these youth returning to their own home until there was a change of heart and lifestyle. Several Tacoma YFC leaders sensed a call from God to search for homes for these teenagers to live in when released from Remann Hall Juvenile Justice Center in Tacoma. The leaders contracted with DSHS Children’s Administration. YFC Child Placing Agency was ‘born’. Some teens were placed in our foster homes and had the support of Christian adults who helped them seek for a changed value system and life style. Since its formation, our program has broadened and has ministered to hundreds of children and teens from various walks of life. YFC foster homes serve the Puget Sound area foster care system in parenting foster children ages newborn to age 18 years, who have been taken from their homes due to abuse and neglect.
Christian foster families are committed to doing a good job in their parenting role and they are often catalysts for life changing focuses for children and youth. Christian foster care seeks to allow children and teens to attach and bond to the caregivers knowing that these attachments are preventative to various negative experiences and issues for children and teens.
Often, the teenagers who have been in Christian foster homes report: “I wanted a new beginning. I found it in developing a trust in my Christian foster family and in trusting my newly introduced Heavenly Father. My faith in God has made a difference in my attitude and in my choices.”
One teenager reported: “Coming to this Christian foster home was like Heaven to me. I was able to forget about my past and focus on the present and enjoy life and experience laughter. I felt loved and accepted by my foster parents and did not dwell on my mistakes. I felt free.”
Teenage boys and girls are not always easy to parent. Youth for Christ and the state foster care system as a serving unit, would like to have more foster parents who have parented teens and could meet the challenge of some of the teens in the foster care system.
Micah 6:8 challenges us: “And what does the Lord require of thee? But to seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God”. Foster care ministry with teenagers fits in this vision. Youth for Christ has a vision statement reflecting our goal : “To have a noticeable spiritual impact on Pierce County by engaging young people in a life long journey of following Jesus Christ.”
Consider impacting a teenager’s life through foster care in your home.
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I just returned from Denver and time with the YFC/USA national board. If you’ve been involved on a local board you understand that meetings can often be tedious and, at worst, drift into minutiae or what is called “micro management” (board members trying to do the work of the staff or Executive Director of the organization). I’ve had the privilege of serving as a Field Trustee (field representatives from each YFC geographic region) for the past several years and this board meeting was one of the best I’ve attended. What sets it apart? continue
I walked into the girl’s pod of Remann Hall this Saturday afternoon. There were ten girls sitting at tables doing various activities. One girl in particular caught my eye. She did not seem to fit in here. Her dark brown eyes stared at me watching my every move as if she was screaming at me from behind them, “Somebody,get me out of here! Can you help me, please?” I greeted some girls I already knew and eventually made my way to sit at her table and begin to talk with her. “Hi I’m Chrisy, what’s your name?” I asked. “Likeisha.” It was her first time in Remann Hall and around the type of girls housed in juvenile detention. Her eyes welled with tears and we went to sit in the conference room where she could feel free to share in privacy. She began to share her story, her current situation, and the things she has been dealing with in her life. Often the girls who are in there for their first time or for domestic violence or running away can have a hard time adjusting to being comfortable just hanging out with some of the harder girls. Some of the ones who are in for more obvious and scary things like: gang violence, drug dealing, prostitution, or robbery. When a girl feels like she is alone and scared it is a great time to reach out and give her someone to talk to and listen. God also provides ways to share about Jesus’s love for them, and his desire to heal, and comfort them.
Likeisha is now sixteen. Her mom is and has been a meth addict for many years. As long as she can remember there were drugs made in the home and used in the home. Her house has always had many people coming and going. Likeisha’s childhood was filled with abuse and neglect. Her dad left when she was four, her mom abandoned her fully a year ago and she is living with a family member. She’s helped raise her younger brother her entire life. Despite her rough circumstances and the odds being against her, she managed to get a job, a driver’s license and is doing well in school.
I asked her what she wants to do with her life. She shared in the most compassionate yet fierce voice, “I want to ADVOCATE for children…I want to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.” I prayed for her, we talked of her purpose and God’s love for her, and she expressed her desire to live her life for God and all He had for her. In the midst of her brokenness and hurt she began to call upon God to help her, to save her and to comfort her. She is a beautiful young lady filled with great potential. Likeisha and young ladies like her have fought through hell just to be alive. It is a GOOD NEWS indeed to share with them of GOD’s amazing LOVE and purpose for them. Most of the time that kind of love is the last thing they have been told in their life. It is an awesome privelege to get to meet these girls, talk and listen to them and hear their stories. What a blessing to get to speak words of truth and to pray. It is so fun to see their lives change before our very eyes as God imparts FAITH for them to TRUST and FOLLOW HIM. Thank you for sharing in the lives of kids like Likeisha. Chrisy Wachtler, JJM
Millie, Air and Miranda Celebrating Millie's Graduation
Not many thought she would ever finish High School. No one in her family has ever accomplished this. Millie Horn was raised by her grandma in Tacoma as her mom struggled with the effects of drug addiction. Her younger brothers have been involved in gangs and drugs have often come into contact with the juvenile justice system. Last year Millie came to live at the SOZO House of Dreams, a house for teen girls who want to pursue hope and a chance at a future, while growing in relationship with God. Millie lived with us for 6 months and was able to get on track in her education at a local alternative high school and continue to catch up on the credits she had fallen behind in her first two years of High School.
Millie began her personal relationship with Jesus while living at the house, and shared one night how she realized he had been with her through everything, and that she could trust Him. She had always struggled to trust and believe and never thought she would be able to trust others or God. However, God had been showing himself to her for many months and she could now see that He had her best in mind and she needed Him. Millie left the House of Dreams this past October as she moved down to Vancouver Washington with her family to take a break from Tacoma for a while. She enrolled in her fourth high school with graduation in her sights.
The road was still not easy for her as she had a tough fight this past winter. Not long after moving, one of her closest friends was murdered in Tacoma. Millie took it really hard and began to question her life and what it meant. She also had a run in with the law herself for shoplifting, and even began to consider ending her life. But Millie again reached out for help with her new family in Tacoma (her YFC friends and mentors) and to God. As a result, she kept on persevering.
She walked across the stage last night beaming from ear to ear – I and some of her friends from Tacoma were there to celebrate with her. As they announced her name, she was handed her diploma, hugging the authorities of her school. SHE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL! Graduation is an amazing accomplishment for a young woman who has had to fight for everything in life, including surviving a traumatic birth into the world. She is also seeing how God is and has been fighting on her behalf along with others who God has brought into her life. She understands now that she is not alone. Millie also knows that not every fight will end in failure. She is seeing VICTORY one step at a time and she can now see her FUTURE. She has a goal of starting and finishing college. WE LOVE YOU MILLIE!!! We are so PROUD OF YOU! – Chrisy Wachtler, JJM
YFC has 95 families who are living the ministry of foster care. Many of them are foster-adopt families. They love and nurture their foster child while supporting the State’s efforts to help the biological parents solve their problems and regain custody of their children. At the same time, the foster parents are hoping to adopt the child if the biological parents do not succeed.
For a foster-adopt family, this is a long journey, lasting many months, that often involves roller-coaster emotions. Foster-adopt families want the birth parents to make positive changes in their lives, but they also love the children they are caring for.
This month, YFC has 6 families who are finalizing the adoptions of 7 foster children. They range in age from 5 down to 1-1/2. What a joy to cross the “finish line” at the final adoption hearing in court! Each hearing is special, with smiles, tears, and many photos. Each one of these children will now have the stability and permanence of a Christian adoptive family. –Karen Grove
On the way back from our TYFC Board retreat this past weekend I received an email from our YFC/USA President, Dan Wolgemuth, that made me both smile and “gulp”. Here is an excerpt from that note:
Tacoma Board of Directors,
I understand that you are at your annual board retreat planning the future of the Tacoma YFC ministry. When you pass your 2009/10 budget it is possible that it will be the largest chapter budget in the YFC/USA movement. Tacoma YFC has been able to continue
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In the middle of the night and at the last hour of the work day, foster parents are saying yes to children! They are offering a home without knowing more than the child’s name and age. YFC receiving care families have received children that have successfully gone on to other YFC foster homes for long term and foster adopt placements. Some are able to go to families and extended families instead of foster homes. All of this is possible because the receiving care homes are say yes to children time after time. They are trusting the Lord as they find out who the children are and what their needs and circumstances are that find them in foster care. Pray for these receiving homes to continue and to be strengthened in their walk with God as Christians. We are so thankful for these families and God for planting them in this ministry.
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The 5th Annual Foster Care Banquet was a huge success. Aproximately 340 guests came to support the foster care ministry at University Place Presbyterian Church and hear keynote speaker, Pastor Robert Gelinas. Pastor Gelinas is the lead pastor from Colorado Community Church and founder of Project 1:27….a state-wide ministry helping to recruit, train, and support families willing to adopt children out of Colorado’s foster care system.
Also in attendance was Dr. Joel Odimba from the Department of Social and Health Services (King County Administrator) who shared about the incredible needs within the foster care system. Three different families shared their stories about how their lives have been changed by their involvment as foster and foster/adopt parents. It was a great evening and inspiring to all who attended.
YFC staff member, Cheryl Hollstrom handed out 12 packets for families wanting to start the licensing process. Currently, we have 22 families signed up for our next class in August.
Financially, we met our desired goal raising nearly $50,000! Thank you to all those who made this event such a great success. We are grateful to all our table hosts and table sponsors, as well as many individuals that helped to make this a wonderful evening.
Recently, Jeff Clare, Sarah Snodgrass and I had the opportunity to attend a meeting held by our friends at Chapel Hill. They assembled 25 people from several local churches to get an idea of what TYFC and other foster care agencies could offer to families in their churches who are interested in foster care and adoption. I was overwhelmed by the excitement stirring in the hearts of Gig Harbor churches and families.
We had the opportunity to hear from an employee at DSHS who shared with the group what the needs of foster care are. One of the main needs was backpacks for foster kids. The churches in attendance pledged to sponsor 250 backpacks for school age foster kids. The exact number DSHS was asking for!!!
On June 23rd Chapel Hill is sponsoring a foster care information session. All local churches and families are invited to hear about foster care and the need our community has. A number of private agencies and the state will be there to share about what is happening in their programs. More information to come, please call Chapel Hill or TYFC with questions about the information night.
