Children entering the foster-care system in Hamilton County will soon have a place of greater refuge as they await placement in a foster home.
In June, officials with the Chambliss Center for Children broke ground for an Isaiah 117 House, a network of transitional shelters meant to bridge the gap between the parental home from which at-risk children are taken and the foster home that awaits them.
Not simply a homey, temporary shelter, Chambliss Center’s Isaiah 117 House will be a place where children are “lavishly loved,” says Rachel Froug Carroll, Chambliss’ communications coordinator.
“If they need a bath or shower, if they need food, if they need alone time or want to make cookies or play a game, this house is there to show them they’re not alone, that they’re supported and it’s not their fault,” she says.
While most area residents may never see the inside of the house, Froug Carroll says she is confident that the model will have “a lasting impact years down the road” for at-risk children in the Chattanooga area.