By Marilyn Tinnin

 

ChildX: A Resource That Rescues and Restores

 

When it comes to children who have been abandoned, abused, or neglected in some way, there is not a one-size-fits-all prescription for healing.

 

ChildX is a nationwide clearinghouse that matches children with appropriate facilities offering specific services that address critical individual emotional and spiritual wounds. The hotline at ChildX is a 24/7 network quickly expanding to identify groups and organizations in every state who provide a holistic approach to restoring children’s lives

 

Our broken world holds infinite numbers of souls whose lives have been a jumbled sequence of chaotic living conditions, inadequate emotional support, and a sense of great isolation. All the government agencies in the world can’t mend the hearts of such children. They need more than a roof over their heads and three square meals a day.

 

Palmer Home for Children, the respected and historic Mississippi orphanage, exists to serve children and to honor God. They have been in the business of providing love, nurture, and stability to thousands of children since 1895.

 

Although times have changed, their mission has remained the same. Palmer Home’s call is to pay great attention to modern trends that create new needs and expose gaps in significant services. ChildX was launched in response to such a trend.

 

In recent years, Palmer Home has seen an increase in demand for care: grandparents, tasked with raising their grandchildren, children with incarcerated parents needing a safe place to call home, children suffering abuse and abandonment, and most recently, the emerging crisis of trafficked children.

 

In Mississippi alone, 58,390 grandparents have the primary responsibility of caring for their grandchildren. Sometimes, as the children grow older, grandparents are not able to handle the challenges either because of the child’s needs, acting out behavior, or their own health issues.

 

Over 20,000 reports of child abuse occur annually in Mississippi. And 55,000 children, at some point, have had a parent in prison. Homelessness and lack of basic needs are some of the problems children can face when a parent is incarcerated. Each year as many as 400,000 American children are victims of sex trafficking. ChildX is a dedicated to providing safe solutions for children in need.

 

“We have a toll-free number (844) 424-4539 (or 844-4CHILDX) for anyone who needs placement of a child,” says Robert Farris, Vice President of ChildX. “This line is available 24 hours a day. With each request, our team gathers all pertinent information regarding the child and then determines placement options that will best meet that child’s needs.”

 

 

Mississippi’s Children at a Glance — bit.ly/SL0517a

 

Mississippi Kids Count: Child Abuse & Neglect in Mississippi — bit.ly/SL0517b

 

55,000 Mississippi Children Devastated by Impact of Parent in Prison—bit.ly/SL0517c

 

Report raises alarms over child sex trafficking in Mississippi— bit.ly/SL0517d