Alongside Families is an innovative collaboration among local churches, volunteers, and our professional staff team designed to give isolated families in our community a network of support.
It takes a village to raise children. Alongside Families creates that village for isolated families.
Volunteer host families temporarily care for children from a few days to several months while a parent stabilizes a crisis situation.
Connect parents with a friend who can listen, care, and encourage.
Scheduled, occasional care of children so a parent can attend ongoing medical treatments or prenatal care.
Call our support line: 704-900-0150
(Monday-Thursday: 9am-5pm, Friday: 9am-2pm)
Or click below to fill out our Refer a Family form
Our support line is closed Dec. 24th- Jan. 1st to allow our staff to be with their families for the holidays. Please leave a voicemail or fill out the Refer a Family form and we will reach out on Jan. 2nd.
We serve families in these locations:
IMPORTANT: We are not accepting new intake in Asheville through the end of 2024 due to the impact of Hurricane Helene.
We would be happy to set up a time to share with you about referring to Alongside Families and to answer your questions. We're available to present to staff teams or to have a one-on-one coffee to share more about how we can support the families that you serve. Please fill out the form below to let us know how to best connect with you.
After a support line referral is received and determined to be an appropriate fit, we work quickly to match children with a Host Family (click here to see our model in action). A volunteer Family Coach monitors children in the host home and supports the parent as they stabilize their situation. Our Family Care Manager supervises volunteers to ensure safety and excellence in service.
Children ages 0-17 can be hosted. In some cases, we are able to host young adults 18-21 years old, including mothers with infants. Approximately 99% of children are reunified with their parent when hosting ends.
Our average child hosting lasts for 1-2 weeks, but the length of stay is based on the specific needs of each family and can range from a couple of days to several months.
Host Families are thoroughly screened with background checks & fingerprinting, character references, training, a home safety evaluation, and a family interview. They are unpaid volunteers within local partner churches who want to love their neighbors and champion family preservation.
Parents maintain full custody, are honored as the primary decision-maker, and can request that their child return home whenever they wish. We are committed to children being back home with their parent(s) as soon as possible. We do not provide substitute parenting-- we provide supplemental care. We seek to serve like a grandma or aunt would during a difficult time. Parents visit their children weekly, and often text Host Families and have video calls with their children daily. Parents meet the prospective Host Family before their child is hosted and can decide whether they wish to move forward with the hosting.
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Alongside Families
2217 Matthews Township Pkwy
STE D-261
Matthews, NC 28105
View our most recent impact report and financials HERE.
© 2023 Alongside Families. All rights reserved.