Goal 4 Healthy Kids

Research has shown that children do best when they are able to stay with their families. When family dynamics break down, Hearts With A Mission of Lincoln County is there to provide emergency shelter for children in these situations.

“We are the implementing agency of Safe Families for Children (SFFC) in Jackson, Josephine and Lincoln counties,” said Marisa Hayner, who coordinates the SFFC program in Lincoln County for Hearts with a Mission. “SFFC provides youth with a safe place to live when returning home is not an option for legal or safety reasons. We recruit host homes to accommodate children with the intention of keeping families together.”

Hayner coordinates host homes for children referred by the state, schools and health care providers. Samaritan’s Lincoln County Social Accountability Committee has awarded grants in 2020 and 2021 for Hearts with a Mission to hire a family coach supervisor to assist the parents through their issues with the goal of reuniting them with their children.

In 2020, Hearts With A Mission of Lincoln County assisted children in crisis with more than 1,700 nights of shelter. Altogether the agency supported 80 children in 70 families.

“Through our staffing, we are able to recruit high volumes of volunteers and serve more struggling families in crisis,” Hayner said. “With Samaritan’s support, we are able to reach our goals by providing much needed support for parents in crisis, giving them time and opportunity to get their lives stabilized while their children are cared for in a safe and nurturing environment through supports from our Safe Families Volunteers.”