Battle Creek: First UMC is working closely with The Haven of Rest Ministries on an innovative childcare program that offers a safe space for children of families struggling with addiction.
JODY SHARROW
Michigan Conference Communications
Pastor Larry French of Battle Creek’s First United Methodist Church was sitting in one of his first board meetings for The Haven of Rest Ministries when he heard the story of a mother whose difficulty in finding childcare was keeping her from getting the help she needed.
“I could imagine how hard it must be, being new to a program, perhaps detoxing, and trying to take care of an infant, all while trying to recover from drug and alcohol use so that you can improve not only your life but that of your child,” he recalled.
Battle Creek: First UMC has a long history of partnering with The Haven to minister to the needs of people in Battle Creek. The Haven was founded in 1956 by Don and Wilma Chalfant to provide meals and shelter and share the gospel message with homeless men. Today, The Haven serves 55,000 meals to over 1,700 homeless persons each year, and has developed many other programs to help struggling people in the Battle Creek area.
The Haven’s Women’s Life Recovery Program (WLRP) is a 9- to 12-month residency program that helps women overcome addiction and includes therapy and classes to learn parenting and life skills. The program is designed to keep families together and to help them recover together. But how can a parent attend therapy appointments and classes with a child or children in tow?
When hearing about this problem during the board meeting, Pastor French said, “Right away, I thought of the nursery we had in the church, which I knew was once a licensed childcare center.” After putting together a proposal for the church’s leadership council, he received unanimous support to move forward with the program.
Last summer, Pastor French hired Starr Older to be the program director for the daycare, and their work began. Older has 17 years of experience in early childhood education, most recently with the Great Start Readiness Program, Michigan’s state-funded preschool program. Together, they revamped the church nursery and built the childcare program from scratch.
With funding from various sources, including the Battle Creek Community Foundation, Sturgis Bank, the State of Michigan, and the United Methodist Foundation of Michigan, Battle Creek First’s childcare program opened in October 2022, offering no-cost childcare to the low/no-income parents of Battle Creek, while working closely with the parents and staff at The Haven of Rest’s Women’s Life Recovery Program and Inasmuch House, which is their family shelter.
Pastor French is proud of the work they’ve accomplished, noting, “United Methodist’s childcare program offers top-quality childcare reflected in the fact that we qualified for a three-star rating with Great Start to Quality within two months of opening.”
Older agrees. “We are caring for children that need a safe place to grow,” she explains. “We have two families that brought their babies to us when we first opened. These kiddos have learned to crawl with us, the moms have graduated from their programs at the WLRP, and they both have found work because they had a place to bring their child that was safe.”
In the future, Pastor French hopes to expand by offering a Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) classroom in the fall of 2023, which focuses on preparing preschool students for kindergarten and beyond. Then, in the fall of 2024, plans are in the works to expand offsite, offering additional childcare and GSRP classrooms that are much needed in Battle Creek.
“Quite honestly, I believe this ministry was brought to me directly by God,” shared Pastor French. “God has been with us through every step of this process. Every time we have identified a need, the help has been there.”
With support from Battle Creek: First UMC, The Haven, and the Battle Creek community, Pastor French and Older plan to provide low-income families with the very best care for their children.
Last Updated on October 31, 2023