Searcy Children\u2019s Homes, Inc. has been providing care for children in need since 1972. In February, the organization will have new additions, new programs and a new name. Searcy Children\u2019s Homes will become Sparrow\u2019s Promise, a rebrand organized by Think Idea Studio that is inspired by Matthew 10, a passage in which Jesus talks about the value of his children in contrast to that of the sparrows.<\/p>\n
Executive Director Brandon Tittle said the title Searcy Children\u2019s Homes no longer captures what they do.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re still taking care of kids [who have] been removed from their biological parents, but we\u2019re doing it differently,\u201d Tittle said. \u201cAnd then in addition to that, we\u2019re adding services and programs that we haven\u2019t done before, and so the need came for a change in name to help make that clear.\u201d<\/p>\n
The house on Moore Street that contains the offices is being renovated to include extended facilities such as the Beverly Ford Visiting Center, a training room, an area for children to stay as an alternative to an Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) office and other practical spaces.<\/p>\n
Amy Cox, assistant professor of art, worked with Searcy\u00a0Children\u2019s Homes when her family became a foster family, and she was an integral part of the rebrand planning and new construction. Cox said a lot of the need for new facilities, such as the Beverly Ford Visiting Center, came from the tendency for family visits to happen at places like McDonald\u2019s or the DHS office.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe kids would either visit at McDonald\u2019s and just play in the playground or they would visit at DHS,\u201d Cox said. \u201cFor the kids and their biological parents, those are the two worst places to try to have an interaction with a child.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Cox, interior design seniors have worked on the floor plans and layouts for the renovation since the beginning of the rebrand to create spaces that are made for connection. Mike Steelman, architect and adjunct professor for the interior design department, has also provided architectural expertise pro bono. Harding students will paint a mural in the new Sparrow\u2019s Promise building, and Dillard\u2019s has partnered with the organization to sponsor a registry for new furniture for the facility.<\/p>\n
Andrew Baker, director of the Mitchell Center for Leadership and Ministry at Harding, has worked with Searcy Children\u2019s Homes as a foster parent and serves as the chairman of the board. Baker said that for a long time, the idea of foster care in the faith community has been driven by James 1:27, which says to take care of widows and orphans in their distress. However, Baker said that when it comes to the foster-care system, most kids are not orphans.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does it look like if instead of going with James 1:27, we went with James 2:13,\u201d Baker said. \u201cWe\u2019re driven by the idea that mercy triumphs over judgment. What does it mean for us to walk with and be faithfully present with parents who\u2019ve never seen what it means to be a parent? We\u2019re going to help them because, in so doing, it hopefully moves from us and them to this is us. This is my community.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the last weekend of February, there will be news coverage of a 72-hour construction project as the new facilities are finished. There will be volunteer opportunities for students to help at that time and numerous opportunities after the opening to help in the organization.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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