Organization plans foster residences for Edenton and Ahoskie

By Frank Roberts

Correspondent

Baptist Children's Homes of North Carolina will soon include residences in Edenton and Ahoskie to care for children from broken families, children who have suffered physical, mental or sexual abuse, and children from dysfunctional homes.

"A family gave us property in Ahoskie - 16 acres - and we have the option to purchase, for very little money, 7 acres in Edenton," said Michael C. Blackwell, president of Baptist Children's Homes of North Carolina for 25 years.

"We made several visits to Chowan, Hertford and Pasquotank counties. We talked to social services and a judge. They said there is a great need for the kind of home we want to build," he said. "We found a great deal of excitement about what we're going to be doing."

As with all Baptist Children's Homes of North Carolina residences, boys and girls of all denominations will be cared for.

"We serve Baptist kids, we serve kids, we serve God's kids, any kid whose need is presented to us, " Blackwell said.

The target date for opening the homes in Edenton and Ahoskie is late 2009 or early 2010, said Keith Henry, executive vice president of programs and services.

They need $1.3 million for both locations, money raised by working through the local networks of churches. Some funding can come from businesses, individuals and special gifts.

"We're getting the word out. We find folks who are interested, and we do one-on-one approaches," said Henry, who estimated the fundraising progress at about 25 percent.

"We make people aware of the need and that we're trying to do something," Blackwell said. "We have the love and passion to help children."

It has been that way since the first home - the Mills Home in Thomasville - was established in 1866. The largest campus, it is still the headquarters of Baptist Children's Homes.

In some cases children go to Baptist Children's Homes rather than foster homes because, Henry said, "it's hard to find a foster home that will take on three kids. We keep siblings together."

Blake Ragsdale, communications associate, describes the services of Baptist Christian Homes in a statement, "We provide residential placement and prevention services to help children and families overcome problems and challenges. In addition to operating the residences we also operate a teen mother/baby parent home, transitional living services for older residents, group homes for developmentally disabled adults, a model weekday education program, a wilderness camp for boys, and equine therapy services at a residential ranch."

Henry said there may be a home for boys and a home for girls in each location, or they may be combined.

"We're not committed on how to go with that," Henry said. "We'll tailor that to the need. We'll definitely have one cottage in Edenton and one in Ahoskie, and we can serve up to nine children in each."

Blackwell said the organization is looking to the future. "We'll get one cottage up and running in each place. Each location has room for a second cottage, but we have no plans right now."

The buildings will be about 4,000 square feet with bedrooms, a kitchen and a dining room.

A good family needs parents, and each cottage in the system has house parents, two married couples who alternate, each couple working two weeks, off two weeks. "They sleep there so it's considered a full-time job," Henry said.

There will also be an area social worker and a case manager, Blackwell said.

The children will attend local public schools.