Clermont church hosting meetings on 'foster care crisis'

ALPHARETTA - FaithBridge Foster Care, a Christ-centered foster care placement agency, invites the public to learn about the Hall County "foster care crisis" at one of three meetings this month at Concord Baptist Church in Clermont.

Three "Encounter FaithBridge" events for potential foster care parents and volunteers will be held at the church on Tuesday, August 13 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.; on Sunday, August 18 from 2 to 4 p.m.; and on Tuesday, August 20 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Concord Baptist is located at 640 Main Street in Clermont.

 Foster care is a large problem, but the Christian community is even bigger. We want to engage members of the community in the foster care ministry and share its impact on families and children, said Bill R. Hancock, co-founder and CEO of FaithBridge.  Churches can partner with established agencies like FaithBridge and together, we can provide a safe, stable solution to the needs of hurting children and families.

FaithBridge's strategy is to mobilize, organize and equip local churches and communities to solve the country s foster care crisis. "Encounter FaithBridge" is a 90-minute introduction to Christian foster care ministry and is also part of the state requirement to be a foster or respite parent.

Right now there are more than 120 children in foster care in Hall County and all needing loving homes.  There are dozens of churches in the county that could potentially partner with agencies to find children foster homes, Hancock said.

The upcoming events are part of FaithBridge Foster Care's  Say Yes campaign, seeking to build relationships between churches and families and help place foster children in stable homes.

 We believe there are many Hall County families willing to say  yes to the calling to provide loving support to foster children, Hancock said.  They could foster children in their homes, volunteer to support a foster family or start a ministry at their local church.

There are currently more than 7,000 Georgia children in foster care.

For more information on FaithBridge, please call 678.690.7100 or visit http://www.faithbridgefostercare.org/hall