Becoming House-Parents

Orr Shalom pioneered the establishment of Family Group Homes for children suffering from severe abuse or neglect.

To care for them, Orr Shalom operates 24 Family Group Homes, each of which accommodates 7 to 11 children (ages 6 - 18) who were removed from their families.  With a married couple serving as House Parents (and their biological children), a psychologist and a social worker, academic tutor, and counselors on staff, the children live in a supportive therapeutic environment and are provided with a chance for a better future.

Here, for the first time, our House Parents create a positive model of family life for Orr Shalom children where they learn through experience that families can be good, positive places where children are cherished and nurtured in a loving, secure environment. The children learn to appreciate the respect and love that the couple give each other and, this gives them the tools to become loving parents and to create a healthy relationship with a partner for themselves.

Out of the 24 Homes, Orr Shalom operates seven Homes specifically designed for adolescent girls at risk, as some of them have undergone such prolonged trauma that they need a more specific program. Based on the structure of the Therapeutic Family Group Home, the Adolescent Girls Homes respond to teenage girls in acute distress and therefore these Homes are smaller, caring for seven girls each.

When serving as House Parents in Family Group Homes, one of the couple works as an Orr Shalom employee, while the other is able to continue with their career. The Orr Shalom employee manages the day to day life of the Home including the Home budget, food and cleaning (with help from a cook and cleaner) and ensures that each child has everything s/he needs to succeed at school and in life. The House Parents maintain regular contact with the children's social workers, psychologists and teachers in order to ensure that each child is receiving the optimal care.  The children are encouraged to be in contact with their biological parents, where possible.
 
What makes all Orr Shalom Homes so special is that they are located inside the community, and are not closed off behind walls. This gives our foster children a chance to live in a normative society, go to regular schools and attend enrichment activities with children from the neighborhood. Our Homes are located in Haifa, Holon, Herzliya, Orr Yehuda, Abu Ghosh, Jerusalem, Mevasseret, Ma’ale Adumim, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Be’er Sheva, and Eilat.

Financial and Emotional Support

House-parents of therapeutic family group homes receive a monthly salary, and their expenses are covered by Orr Shalom. They also receive help from a cook, cleaner and tutor.

In terms of emotional support, our house-parents have regular meetings with their social workers and psychologists who are also on call in case our parents need to consult with them. Orr Shalom's cluster directors are also there to support house parents on a daily basis.