BY EMILY REYNA

 

412. That’s how many children in Charleston do not have homes to call their own. They drift from house to house with very few belongings—the clothes on their backs, maybe one toy. Sometimes it’s less. Finding even a temporary home for them is a growing problem, as there are more foster children than there are licensed homes in the region.

      The foster care crisis is not an easy problem to solve, but local churches, including Seacoast and East Cooper Baptist Church, are determined to fill the void and make a lasting impact in the Charleston community.

      Two individuals are leading the way. Jen Cameron, the local missions director at Seacoast Church in Mount Pleasant, has worked with Angie Rylands, the South Carolina state director of Lifeline Children’s Services, to rally Seacoast’s congregation and help bridge the divide between the 412 children in foster care in Charleston County and the 129 foster homes here now. That means putting the church to action by educating members about foster care, getting them to sign up for training meetings and,  in some cases, beginning the process to license foster families. 

     Understanding the need is essential to working toward a solution. While there are 283 fewer homes than children, the problem is even worse than it looks on paper. "It assumes that each home is always full," explains Rylands. "It assumes that each licensed home will accept a child of any age or gender or background. This is most often not the case. Most homes want little children only, usually under 5. When it comes to older elementary ages or middle and high schoolers, the list of families open to their care is so very low.”

     Cameron and Rylands have been working together to raise awareness about this shortage and fix the problem. One of the primary goals of Lifeline is to work with churches to equip and encourage those who have committed to being a foster families. It provides a nine-week intensive course to train foster parents to care for children who come from places of physical, emotional and sexual abuse and/or neglect. 

     “Wrap-around services provide meals, prayer, tutoring, babysitting, basic supplies and encouragement as these families enter a new level of commitment in their lives,” says Cameron describing Journey Together Ministries, a non-profit organization functioning as a missional community. “The aim is to disciple, equip and mobilize the church to care for vulnerable children through the process of adoption, foster care and orphan care.”

     Lifeline is really about being a service to the local church. Rylands explains that the organization prefers to be in the background to equip and encourage as they serve the community. Lifeline can do what the church can’t, including licensing and training families. They want to help people respond to their calling to serve the vulnerable children in their community.

     The vision is not limited to Seacoast Church. It encompasses the entire faith community of Charleston who feel called to make a difference in children’s lives. This isn’t one church trying to do something huge but a community coming together to fight for a generation’s hope and future. “Charleston is going to look different,” Cameron explains, “There is going to be hope and security for the children of Charleston now.”