Be the Village: The Implementation and Evaluation of the CompaCare Foster Care Model at Enid First Assembly
[Thesis]
Barrick, Bradley Jackson
Mostert, Johan
Assemblies of God Theological Seminary
2021
263 p.
D.Min.
Assemblies of God Theological Seminary
2021
The current foster care system in the United States remains overloaded and overwhelmed. This has led to a foster system that suffers from a lack of capacity, stability, and quality. The Church, however, holds the answer to addressing the crises facing the foster care system because foster care aligns with the heart of God, who mandates the Church to care for the orphaned. When churches properly view foster children and foster families in the way that God views and cares for them, churches will take responsibility by loving, encouraging, and supporting them. In response to God's mandate to care for foster families, this project launched Be the Village, a fully operational and highly effective ministry that recruits new foster parents and provides wraparound care for current foster families. To accomplish this, Enid First Assembly partnered with CompaCare, an Assemblies of God Family Services Agency, and developed its foster care ministry under the 4-phase, 17-step CompaCare design. This project also analyzed the effectiveness of the CompaCare model. A pre- and post-ministry online assessment ascertained foster families' reactions to the wraparound support provided by Be the Village. The evaluative measures indicate that the CompaCare plan is well-designed, easy to execute, and highly successful. Our foster families experienced a complete transformation in relation to feeling appreciated, encouraged, and supported.