"Safe Families" Help Others Get Back on Track

(CBS)  When CBS News Anchor Katie Couric first met Lawrie and Isabel last year,they told their heartbreaking story through drawings. They showed pictures of a life on the streets of Chicago, riding trains all night long after their parents lost their job, their home, and struggled with health issues.

One year later Couric went back to Chicago to see the girls, now 11 and 6 years old. Things are good, thanks to Toby and Cassie Eng, who first opened their home and their hearts to the girls two and a half years ago.

"It's really fun to see their personalities come out more and more," Cassie Eng said.

The Engs are part of "Safe Families,"a growing network of volunteer families in 25 cities who are taking in kids, temporarily, while their parents get back on their feet. Parents can visit or spend the night with their children anytime. The program gives them the freedom they need to get their lives back in order.

"Some of them are on the front door of foster care," said Safe Families founder Dave Anderson. "If we weren't there, they might have gone into the system."

Since we first told you about this program last year, the number of children in these temporary homes has nearly tripled, from 1,000 to 3,000.

Lawrie said life's been "fun" living with the Eng family. "It's been fun thinking that I have two sets of parents," she said. But she still misses her mom and dad.

Today, Lawrie expresses those feelings through her poetry. One's called, "Everything."

"Everything started here, everything belonged here," she read aloud. "Everything that I've ever remembered, but now it's all gone, where did everything go? Because that everything that I ever remembered, it just washed away with the rain."

Lawrie said "everything" was with her parents in the beginning, and now it's all "gone."

CBS Reports: Children of the Recession

Being separated from your family is traumatic, but Malik, a boy we met last year, believed it would be for the best. Now, Malik is back with his family. His mother LaTonya is now planning to go back to school to help provide for her children - something she says she can do because of Safe Families.

"Every last one of the families has been helpful to me and my children," said LaTonya Carter.

Malik said Safe Families helps his mom by working on a budget for food and rent.

That approach is embraced by churches throughout the country, especially in places like Santa Ana, Calif., where budget cuts have left families in crisis with not much of a safety net.

Nineteen-year-old Mary Roehl was living on the streets for months with her infant son, Ariel. She's now about to give him to Dawn and Steve Leavitt for the time being.

"I'll miss his smile and his laugh," Roehl said. "That's what I think I'll miss the most."

Roehl's now enrolled in a job training program, and needs to concentrate on that full time.

"I wish I wasn't in the position I'm in right now to have to do this," she said. "But I know it is the best thing for him."

"It's all for him," Dawn Leavitt told Roehl. "You've got to take care of yourself so you could take care of him."

Her husband Steve agrees. "It's all about mending the family and getting to a good spot so they can be with their child again."

That, in essence, is the mantra of Safe Families.

Organizations Helping At-Risk Kids
Olive Crest, Homes and Services for Abused Children
Lydia Home Association
Bethany, Christian Services
KeepYourFamilyStrong.Org
Strengthening Families, Illinois

[pragmatist1]

This type of program perpetuates parental irresponsibility. These individuals are part of a troubling decline in our society - take no responsibility, complain and let someone else do the work for you. Too bad a crisis is confronting the parent(s) and kid(s). Deal with it like other responsible parents have before you. Stop expecting everyone else to shoulder your responsibility. All the more reason why most having kids today shouldn't be allowed to do so since they're immature and selfish.

[mari1963]

19 year old Mary Roehl who has an infant shouldn't have to be out there alone. Where is the father of her baby and why isn't he being held responsible for helping this young woman? Why aren't their laws to protect single moms from deadbeat men who don't take repsonsibility for their children? Why isn't he paying her child support or helping her find housing? Why? Why? Why?

[showingGodslove]

When a parent signs up for their children to be placed with a Safe Family it is generally their last effort to keep their children out of DCFS protective custody and possibly "getting lost in the system". The average stay for a child in a Safe Family is 2-3 months whereas most DCFS placements are considerably longer. There are many situations where giving money would not resolve the situation, therefore what better program to become involved in so that children can get back to be with their moms and/or dads, where they should be. A family gets involved in Safe Families because they love children and want to help and also believe that it is not the Governments responsibility to care for the needy. At least that is why we became a Safe Family. I hope that knowing this information might show you a differnt perspective on this program.

[notparicular]

I am sorry that random's pride was hurt. But bruised hurt is hard to mend. All common folks can do is to dig deep in their pocket and donate; and that itself is significant in cutting down misery. Most people (pastors, psychologists and donors included) do not know how to mend hurt feelings. The receiver of the donations have the ultimate responsibility of getting out of the sorry predicament. Donors did their part.

[jankebenzone]

Randon and travelers, You two must be atheists and or idiots. To care more for you're image than the well being of your children is the epitomy of selfishness and stupidity.The only message or those who give to the needy or open their doors to the needy is ,I care. Its no sin to be poor, but it is a sin to neglect or abandon your own children, esp for selfish reasons. As a member of a giving church, we found it useless to give cash, because it was usualy spent on booze, cigarettes,drugs but rarely used for food or other essentials.

[RattusRattus]

I fail to see how atheism factors into their opinions. Perhaps you should look up the definition of the word, as it simply means that one doesn't believe in god; it has nothing to do with someone's opinion on charity. The fact of the matter is, pride is always a factor in charity. How is ignoring their feelings going to help the situation? I agree that if you need charity to take care of your family, you should take it, as ultimately your family is more important. That doesn't change the fact that a man's worth is measured by his ability to take care of his family, regardless of circumstances outside of his control. It doesn't change the fact that there are people out there who need charity who won't take it, because of pride. Calling them idiots does nothing to change this situation. Calling them atheists reveals only your own ignorance to the fact that morality and religion are not the same thing.

[travelers345]

I agree with random radar. This is a bad idea that could easily lead to children having a poor image of their parents as inept and it could lead to a negative self image in the children as a result of it. This program is well intended but lacking in understanding and short sighted. Give whichever sort of support you want to give. But do it anonymously and let families alone to stay together.

Otherwise I tend to think that your intentions aren't entirely altruistic.

[random_radar]

I was once an unemployed father who received a lot of well-meaning and kind charity. While I am grateful for the help, I learned a powerful lesson that changed how I give help.

When people bought toys, clothes, or other items for my wife and children, the clear message to me was "Let us help you since you are not good enough to take care of your family." The galling messge is "you are not good enough," and it is not lost on your kids either. I never understood how destructive that kind of charity would be on my self image when I was able to provide for my family.

Our cultural method of giving charity (government and private) sends a family destroying message that parents and particularly fathers are not good enough. If you really want to be a good Samaritan, give money secretly to the father (or mother if there is no father in the home) and let them benefit from your charity while saving face in front of their family. If you really want to help families, let the breadwinner look like a winner by helping in secret.

Don't expect gratitude if you step into a situation and make fathers and mothers look like losers in front of their kids. You want to play Santa Claus for poor kids? Their parents will resent you. You want the credit for helping families? You are a loser who gets credit for hurting families. You can criticize what I am saying, but if you ever are in the situation, you will change your mind just like I did.

Let me repeat my advice: if you want to help, give cash secretly to the head of the home and let them do it their own way and look like a winner.