Local churches organizing Christian foster care program

As seen in the Rome News-Tribune, 01/30/10

A coalition of local churches is launching a Christian foster care program for the Floyd County area in partnership with the FaithBridge Foster Care program.

An organizational meeting is planned Sunday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in the chapel on the Unity Christian School campus on Ga. 53.

The program, called Project 127 of Rome after the call to serve orphans found in James 1:27, includes First Presbyterian Church, Fifth Avenue Baptist Church, Hollywood Baptist Church, Lakeview Baptist Church, Three Rivers Community Church and Seven Hills Fellowship.

"We are excited to have Rome's Christian community come together with local service providers to help children who need loving, stable families," said Bill Hancock, founder and president of FaithBridge Foster Care. "By coming together and deploying an unparalleled service and support system, these churches and the individuals who open up their homes and their hearts have the potential to change the way Floyd County does foster care."

FaithBridge Foster Care is made up of 14 church partners in North Georgia and the Metro Atlanta area. Their strategy is to mobilize, organize, equip and release local churches and communities to solve the country's foster care crisis.

There are more than 10,000 Georgia children in foster care and 224 in Floyd County, according to a press release from FaithBridge. In addition, there are less than half of the necessary foster families to serve them.