Mt. Vernon, IL-(Effingham Radio)- Safe at Home program will provide intensive, hands-on support to families facing circumstances that could otherwise lead to a child’s removal
Caritas Family Solutions will begin providing a new level of intensive support to Southern Illinois families this fall through its new Safe at Home program. The service, which is new to the state of Illinois, is designed to provide an extra layer of proactive assistance and resources to help keep families together.
Expected to launch early November, Safe at Home will provide frequent, hands-on assistance to families facing safety concerns that could potentially lead to a child being removed from the home. The program builds upon a current voluntary program Caritas already offers, called Intact Family Services, that gives families additional support to address immediate needs, strengthen stability and reduce risk.
“Anytime children can safely remain at home, that is the best possible outcome,” said Caritas Executive Director of Child & Family Services Mark Becker. “Even when removal is necessary from a safety standpoint, it can be very traumatic for a child. Safe at Home gives us an opportunity to work more closely with families, address concerns earlier and provide the support they need to create a safer, more stable home and, in some cases, prevent that trauma from happening.”
Caritas will initially provide Safe at Home services to families in Jefferson, Franklin and Marion counties, with an estimated 30 families expected to be impacted during the fiscal year. Referrals may come from within or outside Caritas, and families participating in Intact Family Services may also be eligible.
“Every family’s situation is different,” Becker said. “Sometimes the home is not safe for the kids because of cleanliness, an unaddressed mental health concern or childcare issues; whatever it is, our team can help step in and find solutions. This gives us the ability to spend more time with families, understand what is happening in the home and provide practical support when they need it most.”
The program comes as Illinois expands its focus on prevention and family preservation through its “Forward Together” initiative. For Caritas, the program also builds upon its existing efforts to intervene earlier and provide families with resources before challenges escalate.
“Caritas is very focused on preventative services that help keep families together and we’re very grateful to see Illinois aligning with us on this issue,” Becker said. “This program is unique in the sense that the state has not done this before but it’s an area where Caritas already has a tremendous amount of experience helping families find solutions that allow them to safely keep their children at home. There’s so much we can do to prevent trauma when we are able to proactively work to help parents.”
About Caritas Family Solutions:
Founded in 1947, Caritas Family Solutions is a nonprofit social service agency whose mission is to strengthen the social and emotional well-being of individuals and families in order to create healthy relationships, loving homes, and strong communities. Services include adoption, foster care, pregnancy care, Intact Family Services, residential treatment for children healing from abuse and/or neglect as well as a youth emergency shelter. Caritas also offers behavioral health services including substance use treatment, professional counseling, independent living and employment services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and mental health housing and supportive services.
Caritas serves more than 7,500 individuals annually across Southern Illinois from offices located in Belleville, Carterville, Mount Vernon, Waterloo, Olney, Glen Carbon, Alton, and Effingham, as well as satellite locations in Highland and Sparta. For additional information, visit www.caritasfamilysolutions.org.
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