How Children Come to Palmer Home
In the old Batman television show, Commissioner Gordon has a special phone he uses to reach Batman directly. Everyone knows it’s an emergency if a call comes in on the Batphone. At Palmer Home for Children, we have our own “Batphone”, carried by one of our staff and answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When that phone rings, we know a child is in trouble.
We’d like to believe we turn into super heroes when we end those calls, swooping in to rescue a child caught in trauma. In reality, we’re just people doing our best to Rescue and Restore the lives of children who need us.
On the other end of those calls, we hear many different voices. Some days we’ll take a phone call from grandparents who are unable to raise their grandchildren due to physical or financial limitations. Unsure of where else to turn, they are looking for a safe place for their grandchildren to be loved, cared for, and nurtured.
Other days we receive phone calls from court officials working to keep brothers and sisters together – an unlikely possibility in the traditional foster care system. Often these children have endured emotional, and even physical, trauma. Keeping them together as a family is the best way to begin the restoration process.
Sometimes the call is from a mother, desperate to leave an abusive relationship, or lacking the resources to care for her children. Knowing her children are safe and well-cared for gives that mother the confidence and time she needs to begin to craft a new life where her children will have better opportunities and newfound safety.
Our calls don’t just come from within the Golden Triangle or Memphis Metro areas. Our Rescue Teams work with partners across the US to reach as many children as possible, and many children are refereed to us through these networks. While children at Palmer Home come from a variety of geographical locations and circumstances, they all have one thing in common: they need a safe, stable place to call home. It is our joy to help provide that place for every child that enters our care.
Not all calls we receive involves the rescue of a child. Perhaps it is simply a parent, grandparent, or guardian who needs help finding the right resources to better serve the children in their care. Through our “Whole Child Initiative” we’re able to provide more of these resources so that children and parents can thrive together in their own homes.
We know that the decision to place a child in the care of Palmer Home requires tremendous love and often sacrifice. We’re grateful that we have the ability to say “yes” to so many children, whatever their circumstances may be. It’s possible that you know someone who could benefit from the ministry of Palmer Home for Children. Reach out to us at 855.266.7727. Something as simple as a phone call is all it takes to start the conversation that may mean restoration for a child in need.
