CHILD: Congregations Helping in Love and Dedication

About CHILD

Congregations Helping in Love and Dedication (CHILD) is a unique collaboration between Texas' faith-based communities and Child Protective Services to find loving homes for children who have come into the state's care due to abuse and neglect. The goal of CHILD is to recruit and license foster and adoptive families from congregations across the state. Additionally, each congregation will have the opportunity to develop supportive services for their foster families. These services could include:

• respite care,
• reduced tuition for day care,
• tutoring and after-school programs,
• transportation,
• celebrations for special occasions, and
•  enrichment activities.

However there are many more ways that the faith community can help children.  (20 Ways to Help a Child & 10 Ways to Help a CHILD)
The CHILD faith-based recruitment program was made possible through the passage of Senate Bill 1489, 78th Texas Legislature, Regular Session. The Governor signed it into law on June 20, 2003. We are excited about the wonderful things that the faith community can offer our children in care.  

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About the Need

Prior to 1875 the faith community was the institution that dealt with the mistreatment of children. We would like for the faith community to get involved again with the mission of helping abused and neglected children.

Child Protective Services (CPS) needs foster parents for children of all races and ethnicities, ages newborn through 17. CPS also is seeking adoptive families for a wide range of children with a special emphasis on older children and sibling groups.

In FY 2007 CPS received over 241,000 reports of child abuse and neglect, completed 163,466 investigations and confirmed that over 71,000 children were victims of child abuse. The state of Texas is asking for your help. We understand that as an agency we can not care for all the children in the state alone. Sometimes it takes a congregation to raise a child.

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How to start a CHILD ministry:

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
Felicia Mason-Edwards, Faith-based Program Specialist
P.O. Box 149030, Mail Code W-157
Austin, Texas 78714-9030
(512) 438-4516

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CHILD in the "News"

• Helping Kids Closer to Home Church ministry alliance with Texas Focus
• Fostering interest in foster care Faith-based recruitment seeks families willing to open homes 
• Family Follows Their Faith, KLTV Tyler

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CHILD print media for your use

CHILD Brochure - file is in Adobe Acrobat format -

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