Welcome to the East Tennessee Chapter

In July 2011, the first Safe Families for Children hosting happened in Knoxville.  There were eleven children hosted that year.  That movement of compassion was the foundation for churches and volunteers to open their hearts and homes to start meeting the needs of families in East Tennessee, through this new national ministry.  A strong collaboration of churches and agencies working together, under the leadership of Safe Families for Children, birthed a new Circle of Support for the vulnerable families in East Tennessee that needed a little help, while they were working through a crisis.  An army of volunteers, church leadership, faithful donors, and the East TN Safe Families Council have extended this vital ministry.  Over 2,600 children have been hosted and over 18,000 nights of respite have been provided to keep kids safe and loved in East Tennessee.

The East TN ministry has been a leader in innovative programs like a weekly Bible Study with moms in a residential rehab and creative partnerships with local agencies like a grant to serve grandparents who are parenting again.  The extensive collaboration with DCS, schools, mental health agencies and over a hundred local agencies in the East TN region have been a model for other programs across the nation.