Baptist Children’s Home ends operations
After 32 years of fostering children in the St. Louis and Mt. Pleasant areas the Baptist Children’s Home Inc. is closing.
The organization will continue caring for more than 650 youngsters around the world “but will no longer be serving Michigan,” according to a letter from CEO Linda Brooks.
“Unfortunately, our family model of care is not compatible with new legislation in Michigan so we must end our operations,” she wrote. “The new rules require 24/7 awake supervision, meaning that children must be observed at
least every 15 minutes, even during periods of sleep.
“Our model does not include such restrictions, nor do our children require it. Such a change will not allow our children the freedoms that they need for healthy development.”
The local BCH facilities were caring for about 10 children at the time of the announcement, she added.
“Usually they are teenagers but we go up to 18 to 20 years old if they are still in school,” Brooks said.
Although licensed by the state, BCH, which is based in Valparaiso, IN, only accepted “private placements” from parents, she explained.
“We have been working with local partners to ensure aminimal amount of disruption to the children’s daily routines, and a simple transition,” Books said.
“We are pleased to report things are progressing smoothly.”
However, the closure will also result in the loss of about 10 jobs, including three sets of “house parents,” she noted.
“We offered them transfers but they all like the
area,” Brooks explained. “We still have two (employees) on the St. Louis campus.”
It was a difficult choice for the faith-based organization, she added.
“After much prayer and legal consultation, we did not see a workable way in which to continue our legacy of care in St. Louis and Mt. Pleasant,” Brooks said.
BCH was founded in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in 1942 as the Baptist Children’s Agency.
It merged with the Indiana organization in the late 1980s when it began serving the mid-michigan area.