Hope Children's Home to temporarily close its doors, refocus mission

Hope Children�s Home in Jackson is closing temporarily to refocus its efforts, said Crissy Mayberry, director of parent organization Hope For One More.

Initially, when the three-story, red-brick home was established in 2010, the intent was to provide emergency and short-term foster care for children, Mayberry said, and while that�s been happening, an increasing number of foster children in the region has meant the home instead has provided longer-term foster care.

That means fewer children are being served for longer time frames, which wasn�t the original intent, she said.

�We want to make sure that our primary mission of foster care advocacy is enhanced by the home, and this �pause� will allow us to get all facets of our mission in alignment so more children are provided for,� a news release stated.

When Mayberry started with the organization in 2013, she said, there were only 29 foster families.

�We�re closer to 70 now,� she said.

Meanwhile, other organizations in the community have been working to meet the need for more foster-care options for children � and at the beginning, Hope Children�s Home was one of the only places offering services like this in the region, Mayberry said.

Changing needs mean it�s time to reassess and refocus, Mayberry said.

There is no good time to disrupt services at the home, Mayberry added, but before the beginning of the school year seemed less disruptive a move than waiting until year�s end.

The organization�s goal is to give children stability, so they aren�t bounced around in the foster-care system, Mayberry said.

�Children belong in families,� Mayberry said, and Hope For One More�s efforts to recruit and train more foster parents and volunteers are going well.

Still, the 32nd Judicial District, including Cape Girardeau, Perry, and Bollinger counties, has about 400 foster children in the system now, and that�s a huge need, Mayberry said.

Hope For One More has other programs beyond Hope Children�s Home, Mayberry said.

More than 1,000 children a year benefit from those programs, ranging from education and training outreach efforts to group events to holiday sponsorships, and those will continue.

Hope For One More is a not-for-profit organization, Mayberry said, but it collaborates with Missouri Children�s Division and the juvenile officers.

Anyone interested in learning more about being a foster parent could contact Missouri Children�s Division to get started in the licensing process, Mayberry said.

�We do hold monthly informational meetings for people who want to find out how to get involved,� Mayberry said. �That might not necessarily mean becoming a foster parent. There are different levels, one-time or ongoing volunteer opportunities, for example.�

Mayberry said one thing that makes Hope For One More unique is, it was founded and is operated by foster parents.

�It�s not just a job, it�s our everyday, day-to-day lives,� Mayberry said. �We can help guide people through the process, and offer support for families throughout the licensing process.�

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

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