Befriend a Parent or Child in Need - Join Safe Families for Children as a Family Friend

Family Friend Volunteer Role Description

Founded in 2003, Safe Families for Children (SFFC) surrounds families facing a crisis with caring, compassionate community. We are a volunteer-driven nonprofit that provides hope and support to families in our local communities. Located in over 120 cities across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Hong Kong and beyond, we are motivated by faith to keep children safe and families together.

In many situations, parents or guardians may be challenged in providing a safe and caring environment for their children, putting them at risk of abuse and neglect. In the past, extended family or neighbors stepped in to help families in crisis by caring for their children for short periods of time. Today, however, many families are socially isolated, and their extended family is nonexistent, or unavailable or unable to help.

Safe Families for Children steps into this gap. Safe Families hosts vulnerable children and creates extended family–like supports for families through a community of devoted volunteers who are motivated by compassion to keep children safe and families together. In doing so, our volunteers help strengthen and support families, prevent child abuse and neglect, and deflect children from the foster care system. 96% of children hosted through Safe Families are reunified with their parents after hosting.

Can you help strengthen a family today by signing up as a Family Friend?

Volunteer Duties & Responsibilities

Family Friend assignments can be longer-term connections or one day assignments. A longer-term Family Friend agrees to:

• Come alongside a parent in crisis, providing relational support to them
• Commit to connect with parent weekly (either in-person or over the phone) for a period of approximately 3-6 months
• Maintain bi-weekly contact with Family Coach when in an active Family Friendship
• Work with a parent to help them achieve the goals they’ve set for themselves
• Write weekly notes in parent’s profile about how the hosting is going and any progress with or concerns about relationship with parent

Short-term, one-day Family Friend assignments can also occur. Examples of these include:

• Providing transportation for children to and from a host’s home
• Providing transportation for parents who need to attend appointments
• Provide “day-hosting” for a few hours so parents can attend appointments
• Provide respite hosting for several hours for host families (Note: day-hosting or respite must be done in parent’s home or in public places; to day-host in your own home, you must onboard as a Volunteer Host Parent)

Supervision and Support

• This volunteer position reports to and is supported by a Family Coach

Time Commitment

• 1-3 hours per week when in an active Family Friendship

Skills & Qualifications

• Commitment to the mission, vision, and values of Safe Families for Children
• Passionate about the well-being of children and committed to keeping families together
• Awareness of the various causes of poverty and a willingness to meet families in crisis with compassion and understanding
• Ability to interact with cultural sensitivity among diverse populations
• Experience understanding family life, parenting, and/or children and their needs; real-life experience as a parent or grandparent preferred
• Must be 18 years of age or older, as well as stable, mature, and law-abiding
• Must be free from the abuse of drugs and alcohol. If an individual has a history of drug/alcohol abuse, they must have a period of sobriety five (5) years before the application
• No prior abuse/neglect founded allegations or felonies. If there is a felony, the conviction must not have occurred within 5 years of the application and did not involve violence or a weapon.

Application Requirements

• Application form with three (3) references
• 718c Background Check
• Fingerprinting

Orientation & Training

• Volunteer training with Safe Families (approximately 2-4 hours; webinar, in-person, and self-paced virtual options exist)
• Mandated reporter training (approximately 45 minutes; online)
• Volunteer interview (approximately 45 minutes)

Volunteer Benefits

• Access to 24/7 on-call support
• Liability insurance coverage to cover volunteer relationships

How to Apply

Please visit https://safe-families.org/involvement/family-friend/ to learn more about family friendship and https://www.sfcms.net/apply/ to apply today! Questions? Contact Safe Families Staff at churchengagement@safefamilies.net to set up a time to connect.