About Our Chapter
Our Families
Host Families are people who voluntarily, and without compensation, open their homes to a child of a parent who is experiencing a crisis. Our families have all been screened and approved to safely care for children. These families host children as young as a day old all the way through young teens.
Children stay with a Host Family anywhere from a couple of days to several months with an average stay of 30 days. Our families help in the short-term. They are not able to provide long-term foster care nor are they seeking to adopt through this organization. Other parents who have been helped by Safe Families for Children have faced issues like: temporary loss of housing or job, feeling overwhelmed, needing time to put a parenting plan together, health problems, etc.
Our Team
Our amazing volunteers are the ones who take the movement of Safe Families for Children into the community. But they can’t do it alone. They are supported by a staff of professionals who passionately invest their lives in engaging churches, building the base of volunteers, transitioning children, supporting Ministry Leads and Family Coaches, vetting and training volunteers and so much more.
Ellen Mossman
Chapter Director
Bethany Horstmann
Family Coach/Intake SupervisorBethany has served with Safe Families Metro East Chapter since 2021, first as a volunteer and then as a staff member. She has a master’s degree in counseling and family therapy from Saint Louis University and is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor. Bethany’s previous experiences include serving individuals experiencing mental health, substance abuse and housing crises. Bethany considers it a privilege to come alongside families during such important moments. Her favorite part of the job is sharing God’s love with others and watching the special bond the children have with their parents.
Jaclyn Peterson
Family CoachJaclyn has served Safe Families as a volunteer since 2019 as a host family. She came on staff in 2022. She has a bachelors in Psychology and a Masters in Social Work. She has worked with a variety of populations in her professional career, but loves working with children and families. She was drawn to Safe Families because she sees Safe Families as a tangible way the Church can live out their mission of loving and serving others.