A Mississippi collaborative is trying to solve one of the state’s most difficult problems — a lack of foster and adoptive parents for abused or neglected children.

Rescue 100 is a joint effort between the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services, the Mississippi Commission on Children’s Justice, 200 Million Flowers and churches across the state. 200 Million Flowers is a Mississippi adoption agency founded in 2011.

The approach of the collaborative is simple. The organizations work together to streamline the training and certification process for foster families. After a brief orientation meeting, most families can complete the necessary training in a weekend. 

That’s significantly faster than the process usually takes, and it means more families are prepared to serve as foster homes for children.

Rescue 100 is offering orientation in Hazlehurst and training at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. To learn more, families and individuals can register to participate in an orientation session. If married, both spouses must attend orientation and training.

Orientation will be held in Hazlehurst July 17, and will also be held in Hattiesburg July 10, Columbia July 11, Brandon July 13 and Natchez July 18. At the one-hour orientation, families will learn about the Biblical basis for foster care, what being a resource family looks like and how they can become licensed to be a foster care family.

The training that follows will be at Co-Lin July 28, 6-9 p.m.; July 29, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.; and July 30, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Given the problems surrounding the state’s system for abused and neglected children, it’s encouraging to see a collaborative effort like this. We’re thankful that this organization is offering orientation and training opportunities in Southwest Mississippi.

For more information, visit www.200millionflowers.org/rescue100.