Agenda - 12-04-1995 - X-B - Laserfiche WebLink

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_1 2 7 1995 is: 32 915-a5i-a3 ;FI_ ,t ` 2 � Volunteer H.,wt.ft, Cernmom � Exettluve Director Families Post Office Box 4126 Cary. :9 9/481 27519-4126 for Children rl Phone:919/481-0038 Fax:919/481-0324 Providing Emergency and Respite Care to North Carolina Children November 27, 1995 Mr. Moses Carey, Jr. , Chairman Orange County Commissioners P.O. Box 8181 Hillsborough, NC 27278 Attn: Ms Beverly Blythe Dear Mr. Carey: I am writing to request an opportunity to present Volunteer Families for Children in Orange County to the County Commissioners at their December 4th meeting and to request financial support through contingency fund monies. VFC works by recruiting, training and licensing volunteers who then make their homes available on an emergency basis to children and teenagers who do not fit other programs, guidelines and thus have nowhere else to go. Both the children VFC serves and the volunteer host families who care from them come from all over Orange County. Children can stay with these volunteers anywhere from overnight to a maximum of 30 days while the crisis is being resolved. As a private, non-profit organization licensed as a child-placing agency, VFC can respond quickly to referrals by human services, juvenile court or law enforcement professionals. The only criteria for service is that the child not be a danger to himself or others at the time the referral is being made. VFC volunteers have worked successfully with children ranging from "crack cocaine babies" to "Willie M. " designated youth. During the past 12 months, 26 children have stayed with Orange County volunteers for a total of 212 days. Parents or other guardians must give formal permission for their child to stay with a VFC volunteer_ The counseling and other social work activities necessary to obtain this permission and then make a match between the child in crisis and a volunteer family is done by a local VFC Social Work Coordinator. By directing families to appropriate community support services provided by mental health, public health, churches or other organizations, VFC is often able to reduce family isolation and increase peer support. Frequently VFC volunteers go beyond what is asked and maintain an on-going relationship with the child and his family. This holistic approach decreases the chance that the child will need long-term placement. Opening the Door with Love. Volunteer Families Serving Children in Crisis.