When a desperate mother walked into a foster care group home asking for help, the psychologist's response, "until something bad happens, I can't help you," led her to say, "If you don't help me, something bad is going to happen."
This moment sparked the creation of Safe Families for Children, an organization that now spans over 100 chapters across the U.S. and internationally. Safe Families addresses the needs of vulnerable parents by offering volunteer-based support networks, connecting families to resources and providing temporary care, ensuring children are supported without resorting to foster care.
Jessie, Director of the Treasure Coast Chapter, shares how Safe Families fosters connections through host families, day support from family friends, and coaches who help parents achieve their own goals. Focusing on dignity and peer relationships, Safe Families combats the root causes of family crisis—lack of support, homelessness, and childcare issues—without imposing external judgments. By empowering parents and validating their strengths, Safe Families builds resilience and offers a path for families to weather crises and stay together.
As mentioned in the episode:
Safe Families for Children – Treasure Coast
- Intake line: 772-217-9066
https://treasurecoast.safe-families.org
Contact Jesse Ray about volunteering: jray@safefamilies.net
Hope for Family Center:
- 720 4th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32962
- 772-567-5537
https://hopeforfamiliescenter.org
Indian River, United Against Poverty:
- 1400 27th Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960
- 772-564-9365
https://unitedagainstpoverty.org/campus/indian-river
St. Lucie Count, United Against Poverty:
- 2520 Orange Ave, Fort Pierce, FL 34947
- 772-468-8543
https://unitedagainstpoverty.org
Treasure Coast Homeless Services:
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Purchase my book or Audiobook: Why I Survived: How Sharing My Story Helped Me Heal from Dating Abuse, Armed Robbery, Abduction, and Other Forms of Trauma by Jennifer Lee
https://whyisurvived.com/
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