New program connects church communities to children in crisis

DFCS is partnering with Hope 1312 Collective to bring CarePortal to county

GLYNN COUNTY, Ga. – The Department of Family and Children Services in Georgia is partnering with a local nonprofit, Hope 1312 Collective, to bring CarePortal technology to Glynn County.

CarePortal will connect area churches with local children and families in crisis.  

CarePortal brings the needs of hurting children and families to local congregations in a community as child welfare workers share those needs via the CarePortal website, giving local churches a real-time opportunity to respond to those needs.

After the need of a local family is sent to the churches, the points of contact at the churches then send the need out to their congregations and other points of contact.

The church or person who meets the need then has the option to deliver the need to the family, and often friendship/mentoring is born from that delivery, officials said.

DFCS also can deliver the item if preferred. 

Hope 1312 Collective’s mission is to enable the church to engage in child welfare, providing tangible hope to children and families from hard places. The organization works to utilize best methods from across the nation to make it easy for churches and individuals to make a difference in the lives of a community's most vulnerable children. 

“When we heard about CarePortal, we knew it was a resource we needed to work to bring to Glynn County," Hope 1312 Collective director Ally Christianson said. "Our team is most excited about the portal connecting those desiring to help and serve with actual needs that -- when met -- have the ability to change the trajectory of a child’s life. While we often work with children and families already involved with DFCS, the CarePortal has the capability of preventing a child from ever having to come into care. Adding this prevention strategy is critical and exciting for our community."

CarePortal will go live in Glynn County on at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 4 at the Juvenile Court in response to the invitation and support of Judge George Rountree and Judge Audrey Chapman, along with Department of Family and Children Services director Dana Gellerman. 

For more information about the program, contact hope1312co@gmail.com or visit hope1312co.org.


About the Author:

A Jacksonville native and proud University of North Florida alum, Francine Frazier has been with News4Jax since 2014 after spending nine years at The Florida Times-Union.