Recently, a young boy said to me, “I think I’ve decided that I like it here.” That may not seem like an odd comment for a child to make. Most children settle in after a week or two. They begin to smile and make a few friends. What is unusual is that it took him being at Miracle Hill Children’s Home for over six months before he could decide to “like it”. I have told this child repeatedly that “I love him”. It wasn’t until a few days ago, that he gave me a hug and said, “I love you too”. He now runs up to me when he sees me and greets me with a smile. Thankfully, he finally feels safe!
Another little boy cried himself to sleep last week. His grief was so strong that we were wondering when we see him smile. Then, it happened. He not only smiled, but laughed while playing with other children. Another older child, who loves being a big brother to the younger children, told two little girls that they did not have to worry. “They will take good care of you here.” He had only been at Miracle Hill for a week at the time he said this.
Feeling safe happens at different stages of the foster care process. For some it will be immediate and others make take a while. We can’t take away the fear of our children. We don’t know the secrets they hide or the memories they hold. We only know what we can do. We can love them like Jesus. We can be the stability they want and need. We can kiss their boo boos and hold them when they are sad. Sometimes we cry with them when they cry.
Some hold the belief that group home care is horrible and children need a family to feel safe and loved. I hear repeatedly how children’s behaviors will change when they can get into a good, loving home. I don’t pretend that group home care is better than a foster home. A foster home would be the ideal for a child in care. With this being said, children that live at Miracle Hill Children’s Home do get lots of love and individual attention. They are in a good, loving home. We do see changes in the behavior of our children. These become “our” children! Our staff pray for wisdom in the care they give, as most parents do. We want to honor the Lord while loving on the boys and girls with whom he has blessed us. Children may not feel safe at first, but when they hear his or her house parents praying for them, helping with homework, or giving gentle words of encouragement, they know they are loved! When they feel loved, they will feel safe. .
The OVERCOMERS program is a joke ! Hide men away from any responsibilities!! They know nothing about 12 steps of recovery husband there since may only access to call maybe 3 times and we have a 3 yr old who thinks she did something wrong to make her daddy to leave her ? Even w natural disaster w hurricanes didn’t allow to check on families ? Call staff to have unreturned phone calls! In 5 months there has been zero accountability zero amends have been made, the lady answered the phone didn’t know what big book or 12 steps were ???? Do WHAT ?? Two books essential for sick and suffering bible and Big Book of Alcoholic Anonymous which was written directly out of the book of James !! How can they not be in it ? They had me drive an hour drive w no time to be there no clue where to go and wouldn’t answer when got there!! And they call this ethically, morally, and a Christian Based Program!! No way do they consider the family that has been left behind, so like everything else left to figure it out ? So only more resentments build ! Lock a animal in a cage they will behave but when rubber meets road and stress of life hits you in the face bc for a year Ignore it so only adding more to already stacked against them bc they haven’t cleared up any wreackage from their past! Big book talk so this staff wouldn’t get that terminology or living life on life’s terms ! If your uneducated in addiction don’t volunteer at addiction center bc not doing them any good!!! Your lack of knowledge will kill them literally kill them
Also realize I posted under Children’s program and didn’t mean to go under their program or any other at miracle Hill i don’t know much about any of those but what I can tell you from own experience is about the overcomers center at Miracle Hill and how in uncompassionate they are to the families of residents!! And how not doing these men any favors if not allowing to work the 12 steps !!