By John Noblin
In today’s culture, it might seem impossible that churches would be invited to assist a government agency, but that is exactly what is happening in Mississippi through a unique partnership between Lifeline Children’s Services and the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services. Lifeline, the largest evangelical adoption and child welfare agency in the United States, and MDCPS have partnered to help churches serve vulnerable children and families through two unique programs.
- Families Count is a court-approved, gospel-based parenting class created by Lifeline and offered to parents who have either had children removed from the home by CPS or are considered “at risk” of losing custody.
- CarePortal is an independent online platform that caseworkers and child welfare professionals can use to submit material needs of vulnerable children and their families – and connect with churches in the community who can meet those needs. Lifeline administers CarePortal and recruits and trains participating churches.
MDCPS Commissioner Andrea Sanders stated:
“In four years as Commissioner, I have learned that this work is hard, and we cannot do it alone. A state agency will always be a poor substitute for family, and we need the support of the church and community to meet the ever-growing needs of children and families.
“MDCPS has more than 4,000 children in custody. The agency’s partnership with Lifeline and CarePortal has allowed many children to remain with their families.
“Parenting is one of the hardest jobs on the planet, and many parents find they need extra support and mentoring to be successful. Families Count provides a loving, nurturing relationship for parents, as well as practical techniques for parenting. The relationship may last well beyond the six-week program and gives parents confidence during stressful times.”
John Noblin, state director of Lifeline, said: “Through our Families Count classes and our administration of CarePortal, Lifeline is able to connect churches with local parents whom CPS has determined have specific needs relative to their children. People who have never dealt with CPS may not realize that the agency’s primary objective is to restore the biological family whenever possible. Our programs allow churches to help CPS accomplish their goal while helping these families function the way God designed them to.”
Trent Allen, Lifeline’s Manager of Church and Community Connections, added, “This amazing partnership gives the local church a wide-open door to bring the good news of Christ’s love to children and families who find themselves in a very vulnerable place … We remind the volunteers from the churches to keep this mantra in mind: ‘We are all broken people serving broken people … people made in the image of God serving others also made the image of God.’”
If you think your church would like to hear more about Families Count or CarePortal, please contact Trent Allen at trent.allen@lifelinechild.org.
John Noblin is a lifelong Jacksonian and member of First Presbyterian Church. He holds B.A. and J.D. degrees from Ole Miss and has served as Lifeline’s state director here for five years. He has been married to Jill for 34 years, and they have two adult daughters who also live in Jackson. You can email him at john.noblin@lifelinechild.org.