GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - Children’s Hope Foster Family Agency is celebrating its 20 year anniversary in June 2020. Children’s Hope is a nonprofit corporation operating under the guidelines of the State of California. What began as a group home for troubled boys, underwent a change in leadership in 2000 to become the prominent foster family agency it is today.

Children’s Hope was founded by Ben and Heather Payne. Ben had a private practice and then became the interim administrator for the aforementioned group home for troubled boys in Biggs. Both Ben and Heather knew people from Sutter County Child Protective Services. One day, Jennifer Ramirez a county worker said to Heather, “You know, we need more foster agencies in the area and you and Ben would be great at it.” Fortunately, the group home already had an FFA license. To facilitate the transition to a foster family agency and build their staffing team, Richard Tippets wall called upon for assistance.

Ben and Richard went to the existing Board of Directors and proposed to move forward by allowing them to take over the foster care license. The group home was dissolved and Ben Payne was hired as the Administrator, Richard Tippets was assigned as the first Board of Directors, and Heather Payne was the first employee. Thus the foundation for Children's Hope was laid.

As the first Board President, one of Richards’s primary goals was to recruit, train, and approve resource families.

Building the foundation Children’s Hope about family, Ben and Heather each appointed one sibling to serve on the Board of Directors, per Children’s Hope bylaws. Heather chose her brother Kevin Tippets, and Ben chose his sister Evelyn Naylor.

During the summer of 2000, Children’s Hope opened its first office on Sycamore Street. The first families to become certified foster parents with Children’s Hope were Bill and Peggy Reed from Live Oak and Greg and Linnea Johnson from Gridley.

Within a couple years, the agency outgrew their Sycamore location, and re-located to their current offices on Virginia St. At that time, Children’s Hope had 29 employees, 13 of whom were social workers who had either earned or were working towards their Master’s degree. Nine administrative staff provided supervision, managed paperwork, maintained family and child charts, certified homes, and scheduled transports. Additionally, 7 transporters took the children to their various visits.

With Ben's vision and leadership in conjunction with Heather's social activities, Children's Hope continues to thrive. In 2004, Children’s Hope opened a satellite office in Yuba City. This facilitated the growth of services offered in the Yuba/Sutter area, allows more families to become registered as resource (foster) parents, and social workers on staff are located directly in the area to provide improved support to foster children and resource families.

In 2008, Children’s Hope introduced the Transitional Housing Program (THP). Once developed and implemented by Richard Sebo, the THP program has continued to flourish under the directorship of Nancy Ramos. Children’s Hope Transitional Housing Placement program is for young adults ages 18 to 24 who have aged out of the foster care system. It provides its non-minor dependents with a safe and affordable living environment, access to community resources, and facilitates the development of life skills that will translate to successful transition to fully independent adulthood. To date the THP program continues to provide guidance and stability to young adults throughout the region.

Currently operating with 2 satellite offices in Yuba City and Roseville, Children’s Hope has been recognized for their dedication, hard work, and the positive changes they bring into the lives of foster children. Children’s Hope has grown to having about 89 employees including social workers, transporters, and office staff. Children’s Hope currently has 8 board members. 

Evelyn Naylor, RN, BSN, CPN, and an original and current member of the Children’s Hope Board of Directors shared the following message: “I am grateful to be asked to be part of Children’s Hope. Grateful for Ben and Heather who risked greatly in taking on the responsibility of a foster care agency with below average reputation and turning it into a premier organization of stellar integrity, recognized for its benefits to children, families and employees. Through the lean times and governmental changes, Ben has maintained his commitment to generously provide for his families, the children and his capable and loyal staff. Nurtured Heart Approach is a continuation of that commitment and vision: that positive nurturing grounded in genuine regard for others can overcome barriers and lead to health of individuals and organizations.”

The enduring mission statement of Children’s Hope is to “provide our clients with a professional level of care, compassion, understanding, and services which meet or exceed the currently accepted standards for highest quality foster care, and which enable them to attain and live a normal, centered lifestyle in today’s society.” Many of the services enabling Children’s Hope to exceed accepted standards include ancillary services and activities including but not limited to: Christmas Giving Trees, the annual summer Color Run, Disneyland trip, clothing closet, birthday toy closet, Leaps & Bounds program to support education and extra-curricular activities, Stuff the Bus, Wake the World water sports opportunities, specialized training in Trauma Informed Care and the Nurtured Heart Approach, etc.

As an agency, Children’s Hope truly believes, “you can count the seeds in a single apple, but you can’t count the apples in a single seed.”

Children’s Hope would like to express sincere gratitude to you, as members of this community, for your ongoing support to improve the lives of our area’s foster children.