PurposeOne:27 is a group of women who came together in 2017 to answer the call of God to respond to the foster care crisis that exists in our community. The need for more foster homes is urgent, but often overlooked. We believe that responding to the needs of the children in foster care, especially those right here in our own county, is a purpose worth acting on.
Our ministry to foster families and children is founded on James 1:27 which says, “Pure and undefiled religion before God is to care for orphans and widows in their time of need and to keep oneself from being corrupted by the world.” We wanted to support our local foster families and we knew they needed community support, but there was not an organized way to administer help. PurposeOne:27 is changing that! Now, there IS a way for the community to get help to our local families whether through volunteering, financial donations, prayer, or in-kind services. WANT TO GET INVOLVED?
Walton County, FL has not escaped the fall out of the national drug epidemic. Unfortunately, the children of users and dealers pay the highest price when their parents no longer provide their basic needs. The statistics vary from quarter to quarter, but the fact is that Walton County, FL has one of the highest rates of child removal in the state. That means there are approximately 150 to 175 children in Walton County who are displaced from their home right now. Of those, approximately 100 are in the care of a relative or a close family friend leaving approximately 85 to 90 children who need a foster family to care for them.
Right now, Walton County has less than 10 foster families to respond to the needs of the 85 to 100 children in need. Nearly 90% of the children in foster care from Walton County are placed out of county with 20% of those being placed outside Northwest Florida. Most people don’t realize how much the trauma increases for a child who is removed from their home and then additionally taken to an area that is foreign to them. This requires changing schools, being removed from friends, teachers, church and other community support systems. Additionally, routing sibling visits and visits with parents becomes more difficult and less frequent due to travel burden. Children from Walton County are being placed as far as Miami and Tampa because of the lack of licensed foster homes locally. Although our neighboring counties have a need for more foster families, the need isn’t nearly as urgent as Walton County’s.
Foster Homes Per County (Facts provided by Northwest Florida Health Network)
Escambia – 85
Santa Rosa – 69
Okaloosa – 71
Walton – only 20
PURPOSE : to grow and support foster families in our community by supporting current foster families and raising awareness of the need for more foster families.
VISION : that every foster child has a loving home in their community.
PurposeOne:27 is a 501(c)3 tax exempt, charitable organization. Any financial contributions made to our organization will be recognized by the IRS. You will receive a donation form for each year.
All financial information is public and available upon request.
We are so thankful for the local businesses that pattern with us! They each provide their own unique blessing to our foster families and we couldn’t do it without them! Read more about how you can partner with us.
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PurposeOne:27 has ministered to foster families in Walton County through:
- 234 meals served
- 27 families assisted with supplies such as backpacks, clothes, car seats, strollers, and school supplies
- 16 respite events allowing parents to drop kids off for some organized fun while they have alone time to do whatever they need
- Over $4000 in gift cards to help offset the costs of taking in children who often come with nothing
- Numerous meals and pedicures to local foster parents through our business partnerships
- 90 duffle bags and 10 backpacks loaded with toiletries delivered to Walton County’s child removal team so that children have something other than a trash bag for their belongings when they are removed
- Countless prayers, encouraging phone calls and texts to foster families.
- Monthly support group meetings held in Walton County so foster parents no longer have to travel to another county for education and support