DETROIT – In Detroit and throughout Michigan, a nonprofit is making sure each child has a safe place to call home.
Started by a man named Robert Ennis 43 years ago, the Ennis Center for Children works with neglected and abused children, providing them with shelter and other services to help them “stay safe, stay in school and on a path toward a productive adulthood.”
“My mother adopted my niece and nephew, who were abandoned by their parent, and I wanted to have a greater understanding of the why,” said Melanie Williams, program director for the nonprofit.
Williams says the organization first assesses a child’s safety and works to place them in a safe environment.
“Once they’re in a safe environment, we have to continuously monitor for safety,” Williams said.
The program director and her team have seen children in a number of heartbreaking situations. She says she encounters issues like abuse, child death, deplorable living conditions, substance abuse and untreated mental health issues.
In their important roles that impact the everyday lives of children, the case workers at Ennis Center for Children have one common goal with each child and family they work with.
“Overall, the goal would be reunification,” Williams said. “Can we place this child back in their parental home? Can we provide the services for the children as well as the parents to put the family back together?”
Sometimes, reunification is not always possible for families. In those situations, the nonprofit finds other options for the children, including foster care. A difficult decision to make.
“Sometimes the case workers get very attached, so if we have to terminate a parental right for a parent we’ve worked with for 15 to 18 months, that’s a hard decision for us,” Williams said. “Sometimes they cry after the hearings because they put so much into it.”
Even when things get hard, the nonprofit’s overall focus is on the children. The Ennis Center for Children services kids and families all across Southeastern Michigan.
Williams says it’s important work that truly allows her to make a difference. “Sometimes you get caught up doing the work that you don’t see the fruit of your labor,” Williams said. “But it feels great when you can step back and see, ‘Oh, I made a difference in someone’s life. I gave them a different direction.’”
Every year, the nonprofit helps over 3,500 Michigan children and families in crisis. On any given day, they help over 500 children in the foster care program alone -- but they can’t do it alone.
Ennis Center for Children is in serious need for foster parents. They’re looking for people with a stable income and who can provide a child with a loving home, space and a room.
To qualify, the nonprofit will conduct a home assessment, verify the information they’re given and provide training. Anyone interested can learn more on their website right here.