Host homes needed for Panhandle Children in Crisis

September 12, 2012

When crisis strikes, many of us rely on relatives, church or friends for support. But for some parents and children, there simply is no safety net.
And for other families, the safety net is extremely fragile, with parents depending upon elderly grandparents to care for their children.
Often problems such as drug addiction, domestic abuse, incarceration, death of a family member, unemployment or illness make it impossible for parents to care for their children. During such crises, children are especially at-risk for neglect or abuse as their parents or caregivers struggle to cope.
This family instability is also the reason many youth run away or get “thrown away” and become homeless or “couch surf”.
Panhandle Services for Children’s Host Homes expands the community safety net in Texas, Beaver and Cimarron counties. We give overwhelmed and under-resourced parents the time they need to address the issues that create family instability, and provide a safe and nurturing temporary home for their children.
Host Homes and Emergency Shelter care provide a safe place for children who have been abused and/or neglected, exposed to other forms of domestic violence, or are in immediate need of emergency placement. Panhandle Services for Children (PSC) provides the safe haven and the adult support children need to begin the process of healing.
Host Home parents provide a temporary, safe home for children in crisis for 1-10 days or until a more permanent placement or arrangement is found. They are part of the child’s support, treatment, and care programs. They are partners of the child’s social worker, attorney, teachers, and doctors. Being a Host Home parent is not a passive act of opening one’s home and providing food and shelter. It is a proactive statement of nurturing, advocacy, and love.
Pre-placement training, background checks, and homestudy are required to help prepare prospective Host Home parents for issues that can arise after a child or sibling group is placed with them. Many children bring not only unique special needs due to a history of life experiences, but may also be experiencing loss and/or separation.
Making a positive impact in the life of a child is by far the most common and meaningful motivator and individuals and families from all walks of life get involved for many reasons.
Interested in making a lasting impression on a young child’s life? Interested in helping a child in crisis? Become a PSC Host Home Parent today!
Ciontact Panhandle Services for Children , Darci Freeland, Shelter Director at (580) 338-7082 or 216 NW 4th Street in Guymon. Email pscshelter.darci@ptsi.net