REQUEST CARE
You are not alone.
There is a network of support ready to help.
EMERGENCY CRISIS
HOSTING
Temporary hosting of vulnerable children to give parents a safe option during crisis. These hostings range from one day to one year.
SUPPORTIVE RESPITE CARE
Respite care of children for parents experiencing high amounts of stress or a crisis. These hostings are typically a few hours weekly or one weekend per month.
ONGOING RELATIONAL
SUPPORT
Parent advocates connect with participating parents to share hope through being a friend. Parent advocates support in ways such as bringing over meals or helping with job applications, all while listening and encouraging.
WRAP-AROUND CARE
Organized by the church, this includes helping meet the needs of participant families, such as transportation or school supplies. It also includes support for host families, such as meals or babysitting.
What We Offer
Child Safety is Our
Top Priority
All of our volunteers complete a comprehensive screening process including an extensive application, background check, references, interview, and home assessment visit by our social work team. Host families are also supervised and supported by our professional staff while caring for children.
Process of Care
To receive care at one of our sites, please call the state specific intake phone number or fill out an interest form (both at the top of this page). Please note, if you are a professional reaching out on behalf of a client, please call the number of the specific site you are requesting care from together with your client during TFG’s regular business hours or have your client call us directly. We cannot arrange care on behalf of someone, we must speak with the parent requesting care directly.
We typically need 24-48 hours to set up emergency care.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How is hosting with Together for Good (TFG) different than foster care?When children are placed in foster care, they are under the custody of the government body for their county or state, as mandated by a court order and publicly managed. In contrast, a hosting with Together for Good is voluntary, never mandated by the courts, and at the discretion of the custodial parent, who can end the hosting at any time. During a hosting, children are cared for by volunteer host parents who are not paid or licensed by the state but are trained and approved by social workers at Together for Good.
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Where does TFG receive funding from?As a religious non-profit, Together for Good receives no funding or grants from the government. TFG is funded entirely by private donations.
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Who does TFG serve?Children in need of care are assessed on a case-by-case basis to determine if Together for Good is an appropriate option. In most cases, TFG does not bring children into care who are older than ten years old, who have an open and ongoing investigation or case through Child Protective Services (CPS), or who are in foster care.
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How do participant families find you?Our referral partners include first responders, departments of human services/child protective services, public health nurses or hospital staff, treatment programs, housing services/homeless shelters, and staff at prisons or jails. We also receive referrals from our current participants.
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Can I request care on behalf of someone else?No. Because all of our care is provided on a voluntary basis, parents must be the ones to complete an intake with our staff and request care for a specific hosting. However, referral partners frequently connect participants with TFG, and we often have an individual’s social worker on the phone when completing an intake.
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Do you ever place children from different participant families with one host family?No. Host families may only host children from one participant family at a time.
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Do you typically try to keep sibling groups together for extended placements?While we make an effort to keep siblings together for extended hostings, this is not always possible.
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Who can serve with TFG?Together for Good volunteers must fully agree with our sincerely held religious beliefs as outlined here. Volunteers must successfully complete a background check, home assessment (if volunteering as a host family), and foundational training.
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How long does the host family process take?It typically takes a family one month to be ready to host. This includes a three-hour in-person training, an in-person home assessment with a TFG Home Assessment Specialist, online training, and a background check.
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What support do you offer to volunteers?All of our volunteers are supported by our professional staff. Whenever a hosting happens, our staff are on-call for questions, emergencies, or unforeseen situations. Most of our care staff have a background or licensure in social services or psychology. A TFG staff member is present for all pick-ups with a new participant family. Our advocates receive a monthly check-in from our care team.
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Do you take in-kind donations?Yes! Please reach out to info@tfgood.org to learn more.