Local efforts involving foster care are attempting to find a home for every foster child. Commission 127 (C127) offers an extensive program meant to support and ease the hardships of foster families and foster children as well as instill a sense of family and codependency in our local communities and churches.
The initiative provides training and resources to any church looking to implement a Family Advocacy Ministry (FAM) within their congregation. Commission 127 trains churches all over Florida and allows them to start their own FAMs with foster children in mind. According to Betsey and Rechaud Bell, founders of C127, “If every church commits at least one family to fostering, every foster child will have a home.”
C127 guides churches into forming Care Communities; these are groups of six to eight volunteers dedicated to serving the needs of foster families, with each volunteer in a specified role. They bring meals once a week, pray for the family, and provide other resources that aid in wrapping the foster child in a caring environment. Foster families are trained in caring for children who have been through terrible, traumatic things, but all children deserve to have a family.
The ultimate goal of foster care is reunification with their biological families – when appropriate. These programs seek to improve the lives of adults who had made bad choices, had unfortunate circumstances, or simply could not undertake parenting without help.
The around-the-clock assistance of your Care Community makes the lives of foster families and children much easier and encourages them to remain in the program with just as much enthusiasm and energy as when they first started. They enrich the lives of the kids and families so that the child is given a healthy, loving community of people around them. While over 50% of families stop fostering after just one year, the implementation of C127 has greatly improved the odds of retention.
“Our last survey found that after being connected to C127, 76% of the foster families kept their home open and said yes when they previously would’ve said no to receiving sibling groups,” said Betsey and Rechaud. “This is a huge win!”
C127 also offers CarePortal in addition to the Care Community Model. This virtual platform allows caregivers and caseworkers to submit requests for assistance, which are immediately received by participating churches nearby. This interconnected medium paves the way for collaboration with other churches and community partners who are looking to help out.
In Lake Nona, where not many churches reside, Harvest Community Church has taken the initiative to start a FAM. Executive pastor Micah Hutchison and his wife, Bethany, who works as the family advocacy director of the church, have a three-year history of opening their homes and hearts to foster children and adoptive children. They have partnered with Choices Women’s Clinic, Safe Families, C127, and Embrace Families in order to better serve and care for their community.
“As a pastor, I feel it is important to help the people of our church grow in the awareness of the needs of families and to likewise wrestle with ways they might be called to help meet those needs,” said Pastor Hutchison.
The Hutchisons are in the beginning stages of launching the FAM at Harvest but are excited to collaborate with these organizations and our Lake Nona residents who are interested in becoming part of the foster family community. They will set the example for neighboring churches who wish to participate. They are looking for what C127 refers to as the “church advocate,” who will be trained in starting a ministry. Volunteers can become part of a Care Community or contribute in a multitude of ways, including mentorship, babysitting, prayer, providing meals, offering respite care, tutoring, donating necessary items, becoming a guardian ad litem advocate, and many more.
Another Lake Nona couple, Naomi and Angel Alfonso, also have taken the dive into foster care. They had always discussed fostering, but Naomi’s passion for kids without true homes grew and grew. They completed the five full-day parenting classes intended to prepare parents on caring for children coming from difficult situations, a home study inspection, background checks, interviews, and paperwork – and, now, they foster.
“Our life is busier and may seem chaotic to some, but the reward is absolutely worth it. Foster care has allowed God to shape us individually and as a family,” said Naomi. “We have already seen changes in our biological children at ages 8 and 4 as they love selflessly and serve sacrificially, which has been beautiful to watch. The idea initially is that these foster children need us; however, we begin to realize that we needed them as well. Although they may only be in our home for a season, they will remain in our hearts forever.”
The Alfonsos’ experience with their Care Community has been nothing but a blessing to them. They provide dinner once a week, pray and check on them, and serve any other needs the family requires to take excellent care of their foster child.
“We see this as an opportunity to not only care for the child but also care for the family,” Naomi said.
“With training and guidance from C127, churches raise awareness in their congregations, direct families to receive training, and build volunteer Care Communities around them,” said the Bells. “With over 2,000 churches in Central Florida, it is our desire that even 10% of churches would engage in this work and have a vibrant FAM led by passionate lay leaders as part of the DNA of their church.”
