The LIGHT House has been providing Christ-centered Pro-Life ministries since 1985. Throughout the years the services offered and programs available have grown and evolved to meet the most pressing needs of our community. Currently, we offer three primary programs: residential maternity care, outreach ministries and adoption services. But as the needs of the community have changed, our focus on LIFE has not. The LIGHT House continues to fulfill our mission statement: The LIGHT House is committed to serving God by responding to the needs of children, youth and families to ensure all Life Is Given Hope for Tomorrow.
Our Maternity Home Program accepts mothers age 12-21. These clients can be pregnant or parenting a child under the age of three. The main goal of our program is to teach the mothers parenting and life skills through education in Christ. These skills are learned through intensive case management, counseling and education. Our trained staff work with residential clients on a daily basis to encourage and model healthy living, pregnancy and newborn care, life skill development and support on the path to self-sufficiency. While the pandemic required changes to activity and spaces inside the house, we have been able to continue to serve clients without interruption!
Our Outreach Program serves the Kansas City community as a whole. The program provides group life skills and parenting classes, Bible studies and a Baby Boutique which offers baby clothes, diapers and other needed supplies for young mothers. In order to comply with COVID restrictions in the Kansas City area, in-person classes had to be temporarily discontinued and replaced with virtual counseling, case management and twice monthly in-person supply distributions. We are planning to resume in person classes this summer as restrictions ease. Time and time again our outreach clients have told us how important the supply distributions have been – especially at the height of the pandemic when many of these supplies were either unavailable, inaccessible or unaffordable.
Our Adoption Program serves waiting and birth families. During the height of the pandemic, staff was able to adjust to providing services in a safe and meaningful way – honoring the wishes of families while adhering to hospital and court policies.
Ella’s story is like so many we serve. Ella and her baby’s father had been living in a house owned by Ella’s mother. The couple lived there rent free and were only expected to pay the utilities. After her son was born, Ella stayed home and took care of him while the baby’s father worked. One day the utilities were shut off and Ella discovered that her son’s father had not been paying the utility bills. After learning of this situation, Ella’s family was not willing to provide further assistance because they no longer wanted to support what they felt was an unhealthy relationship. The couple was then evicted due to the unpaid utilities. At that point, with colder weather just around the corner, Ella reached out to The LIGHT House Maternity Home for help.
At The LIGHT House, Ella was provided with a safe place for her and her baby to stay. She also received – at no cost to her – case management, counseling, parenting and life skills classes, medical care for her and her baby, spiritual development classes and activities. She was also able to participate in the Outreach Program.
During her stay at The LIGHT House, Ella enrolled in (and was on track to complete) a CNA class, fled what turned out to be an emotionally and physically abusive relationship with the baby’s father, re-established relationships with her family and acquired permanent housing for herself and her baby. All of these contributed to rebuilding her self-esteem and self-worth. With assistance from The LIGHT House – at a point of critical need for Ella and her son – they left with positive outcomes that set them up for continued success and independence.
Thank you for your prayers for and support of all of the ministries of Missouri Baptist Children’s Home. You are saving lives of the unborn and changing the lives of countless others.