Forget-Me-Not Children’s Homes

                 “Bringing help and hope to a ‘special needs’ child in Liberia, West Africa”

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION/MISSION:

Forget-Me-Not Children’s Homes (FMN), is the first long term foster home program in Monrovia Liberia (West Africa), to specifically take in the abandoned ‘special needs’ child. We realize that a ‘handicapped’ child in Liberia is considered a burden to most of society, and we want to change that perception…one child, one foster family at a time.  Our program serves any child that is considered ‘special needs.’  Examples would be…Cerebral Palsy, Microcephaly  (small brain),  Down’s Syndrome, Failure to Thrive, and Mental Retardation. These are children we presently serve.

Each of these children deserves to have a life filled with the loving care from those around them.  We place these special children, in trained and loving foster homes that have been educated in caring for these precious children. With the unemployment rate being 85%, this also provides a woman with valuable employment.

FMN works closely with the government in Liberia, to meet and exceed the standard of care for these precious little ones. Each foster family is interviewed by our Liberian Director/Nurse, pre-approved, and then must also be approved by the government. A FMN foster family must follow our high standard of care, and be trained into the program.  All of our foster families are trained and equipped to take in two ‘special needs’ children, per foster parent. FMN also provides every month, the needed formula/milk, cereal, rice, and cooking supplies, as well as nurse visits and checks a couple times per week. We are so proud of all our foster families who have stepped out in faith, taken in these children, and are claiming them as their own.

FMN also has a Community Outreach program in Liberia, to support, encourage, and educate families and communities who choose to parent a child or children of special needs. What better way to be a witness to one’s own community, that special needs children are well loved by their own parents and that the African perception of these children are unfounded and have as much potential as any child.

HISTORY:

The Forget-Me-Not Children’s Program, took in its first two children, May of 2009. We currently have 12 beautiful and growing ‘special needs’ children in several foster homes.  We are proud of what we have been accomplishing through these fragile lives we’ve been entrusted with.  So many of our children have made great strides since coming into our program by having a family and a home to call their own.

EDUCATION:

The FMN program wants to educate the people of Liberia about the uniqueness of children with special needs. FMN has held several workshops on the care of special needs children.  We want to continue to hold these workshops in communities, schools, hospitals and clinics, partnering with resources already in country but have no forum to implement these sources.  We also continue to require all our caregivers to attend training every 6 months for implementing therapy on the children, proper hygiene, nutrition, and giving support and encouragement to each of these committed caregivers.

Through the FMN Community Outreach, we want to educate other families and caregivers that choose to raise their ‘special needs’ child.  FMN aims to provide support and education to these special families.  Our goal is to encourage families to stay together, through our support and resources, so they don’t feel the burden or need to abandoned their ‘special needs’ child.

LONG TERM CARE:

Each of the children in the foster homes will receive (based upon their abilities and development):

• Ongoing medical care and treatment
• Daily physical therapy and/or exercise
• Academic education
• Biblical education
• Sponsor family
• Workplace training/education (as they come of age)
• Transition into long term facility for children over 18 who are unable to have training/education
• Project- One Less Orphan (if they qualify; adoption)