Searcy Children’s Homes is a faith-based agency affiliated with the Churches of Christ. They have provided care to more than 1,000 children since the agency began in 1974, and they care for approximately 40 children a year, according to their website. The agency provides management of foster care, adoption services and maternity services. While the agency provides these services to the public, there is still a great need for volunteers and specifically, families willing to foster children.
A group of students in the social work community practice class are working with the Searcy Children’s Homes to raise awareness and combat misconceptions about foster care.
“We’re working on a foster parent recruitment strategy with (Searcy Children’s Homes),” said senior group member Kayla Sheehan. “We want to raise awareness and we want people to realize how great foster care is. It’s really accessible and not hard to get involved in.”
The group is attempting to challenge misconceptions people may have about foster care. They have met with local foster families through Searcy Children’s Homes in order to better understand foster care and all that it entails.
Angela and Keith English have been fostering children since 2010. Since then, they have provided care for 22 children, according to Angela English. They adopted their 3-year-old daughter after she came to live with them as a foster child when she was nine months old. To become a foster parent, a background check and training is required. Providing foster care does require some changes to daily life, but you are able to treat and care for the children as if they were your own, according to Keith English.
“The children have never been a problem,” Angela English said. “Sometimes the system is challenging. We have not ever had a child in our home that we’ve said ‘Thank you, it’s time for them to go, that was so hard.’ And we’ve had an array of kids with different personalities and different backgrounds and different situations.”
Foster care has not only provided an opportunity to make an impact on the lives of children, but also has shown changes in the children’s original families, according to Keith English.
“You see some lives that truly get turned around because a kid gets removed from a home,” Keith English said. “You see people understand they need to make changes in their life or their child can’t come back with them.”
Despite his original inhibitions toward it, Keith English said he decided to get involved with foster care because he felt that if he, and other Christians, speak out as being pro-life, they are obligated to provide care for children in need.
“If you are going to do this, and do it well, you love them like you love your own,” Angela English said. “It’s always hard to see them go, but that means you’re doing your job.”
Students are encouraged to help raise awareness and volunteer. Searcy Children’s Homes has a thrift store, The Sharing Shoppe at 110 N. Spring St. where students can volunteer, donate or shop. Their offices are located at 208 E. Moore Ave. in Searcy. You can find more information at searcychildrenshomes.org or by calling (501)-268-3243.
