MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis has the highest number of children in foster care in the state and local leaders say a big part of that is homelessness.
Memphis Strong Families is trying to change that with its Child Welfare and Supportive Housing Initiative.
With the help of federal dollars, the program has housed and helped 82 families with 212 children.
“It is about keeping families together through permanent supportive housing. So, once they have housing then they get the intensive wrap around services and that helps them stay together,” said Chere Bradshaw, Executive Director of Community Alliance for the Homeless in Memphis.
Parents referred by DCS and MIFA are moved into furnished apartments.
They get to keep their children and, with the help of on-site case managers, get help turning their lives around.
Chelse Sampler moved into one of their apartments at Idlewild Court two years ago.
“I’m doing just fine. I have a car and I’ve got an interview today to be a corrections officer in Tennessee,” said Sampler.
Memphis Strong Families is one of five similar programs across the country being funded by a federal grant.
On Tuesday, the group met with city and county leaders, social workers, homeless advocates and others in the community to talk about the program’s success and look for other ways to fund the program once the grant money runs out.
“We would like to use mainstream resources. There is housing out there. We would like to use Section 8 vouchers. We want to use what we have out there. We want to expand it. We have families we can’t serve because they are large families and we don’t have the apartment space. So, we want to be able to put them in homes like anyone else and still provide the services,” said Bradshaw.
The program also saves the state money.
It costs about $180 to house just one child in the foster care system, per night.
This program costs just $50 per night for the entire family.
