Q. What is LiftedUp?

LiftedUp is a non-profit Oregon corporation with IRS 501(c)(3) status (applied for.) Gene Head is the founder and President of LiftedUp and reports to a Board of Directors.

Q. What does LiftedUp do?

The LiftedUp recruits and trains volunteers to provide FREE respite care to foster parents. We do much more but FREE respite care is the core service performed by LiftedUp volunteers.

Q. What is respite care?

Respite is the act of substituting or standing-in for someone else. In this case a volunteer provides respite care for a foster parent by assuming the duties and responsibilities of the foster parent so the foster parent can do whatever they want to do and not worry about their foster children.

Q. Don't foster parents get paid? Can't they hire someone to give them relief?

Foster parents are NOT paid; they do receive reimbursement for the cost of having an extra child in their home. However, this reimbursement is not paid based on actual costs - it is more like a stipend and is seldom enough to actually cover the costs of the foster child. Out Typically foster parents receive about $0.40 per hour.

Q. Why do foster parents need respite care?

I take (took) care of my kids without respite. There is a crisis shortage of foster families. On average, foster parents quit after 11 MONTHS. The most recent research (2003) shows that if foster parents receive community support (volunteer respite care, for example) they stay foster parents twice as long as the average or almost two years instead of less than ONE.

Q. Why not just recruit MORE foster parents?

Good idea and LiftedUp recruits new foster parents at every opportunity. However, if there were magically twice as many foster parents and they still burned out after only 11 months, foster children would still be moving from foster home to foster home to foster home.

Q. Foster children move from home to home?

Yes, primarily because foster children remain in foster care for an average of 16 months - 50% LONGER than the average foster parents. Foster children, on average, live in 2.5 DIFFERENT foster homes while in foster care.

Q. Isn't being moved detrimental to foster children?

Absolutely. Each move increases the likelihood of emotional and behavioral problems. The more foster children are moved, the more they behave badly. The their behavior worsens they are moved more frequently. It is an endless loop of GUARANTEED declining stability for foster children. It is not unusual for a foster child to live in 10 different foster homes while in the foster care system.

Q. OK, so foster parents need help, but why single out the Christian faith communities to become volunteers?

People of the Christian faith generally believe the Bible and use it as a guide for conducting their lives. James 1:27 declares that God's view of "pure religion" is the simple act of "caring for widows and orphans." In Matthew Jesus says whenever we offer food and drink for one of "the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me." Matthew 25:40. Therefore, Christians have a clear mandate from the Bible to care for foster children.

Q. But foster children aren't orphans, they have parents.

True but not completely true. Foster children usually have living biological parents. However, without this one distinction foster children are very much like orphans: Foster children are not with their biological parents or siblings or familiar surroundings. Just like orphans, foster children are often confused, frightened, bewildered and angry. Foster children ARE modern-day orphans. (PS - Single mothers are modern-day widows.)

Q. Is LiftedUp a church organization?

No. When LiftedUp was founded in 1999 - founder Gene Head believed LiftedUp would become attached to local churches in much the same way as Royal Family Kids' Camp is attached to a local church. But God had a better plan.

Q. OK - What is the "better plan."

Royal Family Kids' Camp is centralized in a local church - LiftedUp is decentralized out to local LiftedUp Programs with local Program Directors. Often times the local program will involve several volunteers from the same church but there is no official church affiliation.

Q. Does LiftedUp solicit donations?

Absolutely. LiftedUp is a fast-paced, quickly growing ministry and relies on the generosity of individuals for monthly financial support. Please consider supporting LiftedUp with a monthly donation of $200, $100, $50, $25 or another amount suitable to your circumstances OR with a special gift. Checks payable to LiftedUp and mailed to LiftedUp, 22344 SW Main Street, Sherwood, OR 97140-9416. Your donation may be tax deductible.

Q. Aren't people often skeptical of para-church organizations?

Yes, and that is why LiftedUp was originally designed to come under the leadership of the local church. However, after more than five years of operation it is clear that LiftedUp is a grass-root, word of mouth organization. People become volunteers because of the positive experience of current volunteers they know - current volunteers share their story and people say, "I can do that!" Except for the original 12 core volunteers, very few new volunteers have come from a recruiting campaign or bulletin announcement or from the LiftedUp website.

Q. Doesn't grass-root, word of mouth recruiting limit growth?

The opposite has proven to be true! About one-half of all volunteers get two or more new volunteers simply by sharing their experiences of being a LiftedUp volunteer. Furthermore, to be wildly successful LiftedUp doesn't need a lot of people.

Q. How many volunteers does LiftedUp need?

Since LiftedUp is decentralized, local LiftedUp programs have a limited number of foster homes to serve. A local LiftedUp Program will have a program director and anywhere from 5 to 50 volunteers. Maybe more, maybe less - we haven't set an upper or lower limit on the size of a the local LiftedUp program. It all depends on the number of foster homes in the area.

In a metropolitan county, for example, there are approximately 1000 children in foster care. Half of these foster children (about 500) are in kin-ship homes living with relatives and generally doing pretty well. The other half (about 500) live in traditional foster homes. Now here is the statistic you will seldom hear but is the single most important static when it comes to foster care: About 70% of the foster children live in about 50% of the foster homes.

Q. WHAT???

About 70% of 500 foster children (350 kids) live in 50% of the 250 foster homes (125 homes). On average that's almost 3 kids per foster family - In reality there can be 4-6 or more foster children in a single foster home.

Q. Wait a minute! No Way! How is that possible?

Yes, way! Some foster families are better at setting and keeping personal and family boundaries than others. A strong family with good boundaries may be certified for 2 foster children and only take 2 foster children, no exceptions. Another, big-hearted family may be certified for 2 foster children but end up taking more, 2 more, 4 more, 5 more? . . . because where else will the foster children go?

Q. That's just crazy! How can a foster care system survive like that?

It IS crazy - but it is also reality. Where else will the foster children go? There is no good place to "push back." Half the foster homes are overcrowded and not by just 1 or even 2 children but by 3 or 4 or 5 or more children.

MOST IMORTANT: Without adequate number of foster homes the criteria for taking a child into foster care is INCREASED. Here is what this means in real life. With plenty of foster homes if a four year old is found home alone she is immediately taken into custody and placed in foster care. Without an adequate number of foster homes the child may be taken into custody but then returned home the same day when the parent shows up and promises to never again leave the child alone.

UNBELIEVABLE . . .

OK - Back to the general questions . . .

Q. Why is there no church affiliation?

Liability. Local churches are generally unwilling to accept the liability of caring for foster children in private homes outside the structure of the church building and church policy. The local church may be committed to the idea and principle of LiftedUp without officially endorsing the ministry.

Q. How does respite care for foster parents help foster children?

As mentioned earlier, one measurable result of quality, respite care is longer retention of foster parents. Lower turnover in foster parents means more stability for already troubled foster children. As a bonus the foster children receive individual, adult attention at least one day a month.

Q. What are the risks to the volunteers?

The risks are too scary to enumerate but they are everything you imagine and more. Volunteers hurting children; foster parents getting mad; foster children making (true/false) allegations of abuse; law suits. These are just a few of the possibilities that keep local church from officially endorsing LiftedUp. It's staggering to contemplate. So instead of thinking about the risks we think of the directives given by Jesus and let God handle the risks.

Q. What's the potential upside for becoming a LiftedUp volunteer?

• Lifestyle evangelism
• Volunteers are recognized as people who put solid action to their faith in a truly sacrificial way. They "walk the talk."
• Volunteers are growing into the character of Christ.
• Volunteers are attaining skills and insight they can use in other areas.
• Grateful foster parents and foster kids.

Q. What is the training all about?

Training of volunteers serves several purposes:

1. Self-selection during the training period. Some people will drop out.
2. Universal truths are good for any parent, grandparent or anyone caring for children.
3. Builds on group unity and interdependence.

Training is in 3 sessions:

1. The Children
2. The Foster Families and DHS
3. The Volunteers

Q. Who is a typical volunteer?

LiftedUp believes that not everyone can or should be a foster parent; however we also believe almost anyone can be a foster parent for one day a month. There are no skills or experience required to become a volunteer. A genuine willingness to serve is all that is needed. There are several areas of indirect support not involving direct respite care. It takes time and other resources to prepare a volunteer for this kind of service. Every volunteer is expected to commit to at least one year of service.

Q. What are some of the indirect support jobs?

Most important is Prayer Partners. LiftedUp Evangelists - people who will take the LiftedUp story to other communities. Administrative support, interview and assessment support, follow-up support, documentation and research data support are some of the jobs which need to be done.

Q. If I or someone I know wants to take on this ministry what should we do?

Call our office 503-628-1053 and arrange to attend an informational meeting and the three training sessions.

Q. What if we just want more information?

Call Marylou Slick at (503) 521-9433 or Cliff Fahey at 503-628-1053

Q. What else should I know that is not been asked?

Lots of things. If you've read this far you should probably pick up the phone and give us a call.