We believe it’s our duty to defend the cause of the fatherless.

We intentionally seek a Christ-like love as we work to empower and support foster, adoptive, and kinship families, and we pursue projects that we believe will make an immediate and lasting impact.

The Hope Chest & Care Packages

The Hope Chest is Dwell’s foster closet, designed to support foster, adoptive, and kinship families who receive emergency placements of children. It provides a week or two’s worth of clothing and essentials to help them through the initial trauma and transition. The Hope Chest is stocked with new and gently used clothing, shoes, and essentials for children of all ages, and each child receives a duffle bag for their new items. Additionally, Dwell assembles “New Placement Care Boxes” for foster, adoptive, and kinship families. These packages help foster attachment and offer respite and fun, containing items like blankets, books, games, stuffed animals, art supplies, and gift cards.  Learn more about the Hope Chest here.

Caregiver Support Groups

Fondly referred to as The Dwelling Place, our informal care groups are for foster, adoptive, and kinship caregivers where the only agenda item is confidentiality. Let’s face it, this journey is beautiful but it’s also brutal. We call that “brutiful!” Come hang out with other moms and dads who "get it."

Trauma-Informed Training

Dwell offers year-round, virtual trauma-informed trainings using the Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Model. Designed for foster and kinship caregivers, adoptive parents, educators, and other adults, these trainings equip participants with the tools to provide effective support and treatment for at-risk children. TBRI has been successfully applied in various settings, including orphanages, schools, and foster homes, helping caregivers build strong, healing relationships with the children in their care.

Adoption Grants

We know the expense for a domestic or international adoption can be an overwhelming obstacle. Many of our board members are adoptive parents themselves. Dwell works to put adoption within reach by providing grants to qualified families in need of financial assistance.

Applications for Adoption Grants are Open! Click here to complete a preliminary approval form.

Made to Celebrate!

Made to Celebrate! is a program dedicated to ensuring that children in foster or kinship care in Lycoming and Clinton Counties are celebrated on their special day. Each child will receive happy mail of a specially curated package filled with things from their birthday wish list, giving them voice and choice.