CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea – When a military child in Korea is not safe in their own home, where do they go?
It’s a question the Emergency Placement Care program is designed to answer. The EPC program provides 24-hour care in an EPC provider’s home for children who cannot be cared for by their natural family or legal guardian. Cindy Morita, the Installation Management Command-Pacific Army Community Services Family Advocacy Program manager, stresses the program is not a family care plan or childcare, but a short-term solution for an urgent case.
“This is a situation where the child cannot be safely cared for such as child abuse or domestic abuse situation,” said Morita. “We want to try and keep children in their homes so when we recommend a child be placed in an EPC home – it’s a severe and critical situation.”
The EPC is managed by the Army Community Service Family Advocacy Program. In Korea the EPC providers are volunteers who can care for children, however, due to the transitional nature of military personnel, the program currently is lacking provider homes in Korea. In order to create an enduring program, ACS is sought out installation partners to help provide support.
“We started with our community and engaged our stakeholders such as housing, safety, and (Child and Youth Services), to help us put out the need for volunteers,” said Morita.
Responsibilities generally do not exceed 90 days, with the average length of stay being one to two weeks. This allows time for safety measures to be implemented or, if needed, for long-term care or placement to be arranged. However, the process to be selected as a host home can be lengthy and those who are interested are urged to start the process as soon as possible.
“EPC Providers are vetted for the safety of the children and require extensive background checks in addition to completing an orientation, setting up interviews and conducting a child safety inspection of the home,” said Angela Austin, Installation Management Command-Pacific Child and Youth Services Training specialist.
Until the process is complete, children cannot be placed in the home.
“Children requiring emergency placement care can range from infants to teenagers,” said Col. Arron Lummer, the assistant chief of staff for 8th Army. “They need a safe and supportive home.”
Eldotha Fields, Family Advocacy Program specialist at Camp Humphreys, says those who are interested in volunteering are welcome to call ACS or come to the office in Maude Hall for more information.
“It is a volunteer program and we want to be sure people understand what it means so we provide them an overview to tell them about the program, and that gives them the opportunity to ask some questions,” said Fields.
Fields says providers can be families, couples or even single individuals. There is no requirement to have children, however they must be 21 years and older. Additionally, homes can be on or off the installation, however they cannot be in the barracks.
Lummer’s own family has stepped up to serve as a volunteer home.
“The EPC program is a little-known but powerful example of how our OCONUS communities come together to take care of each other,” said Lummer. “My family is proud to serve as an emergency placement family. We hope we're never needed, but we want to be available to the community, should someone need help dealing with a difficult situation.”
For more information on how you can serve as an emergency placement home, call the ACS office at 0503-357-2363 or stop by their office on the first floor of Maude Hall.
To report child abuse or neglect call 0503-355-9917.
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