Nonprofit Isaiah 117 plans home in Georgetown

Isaiah 117, a faith-based nonprofit providing housing for children awaiting foster care placement, plans to expand to Georgetown, and is working to build awareness in the community.

When a child enters into the foster care system in a county, the commonly wait in a child services office, Ronda Paulson, Isaiah 117 founder, explained in a launch meeting Saturday at Tippit Middle School.

“They’re often dirty, hungry, tired, scared and have no personal belongings,” she said. “An Isaiah 117 house allows that child to never go to an office, but to a loving home with volunteers to care for them in the critical hours between removal and placement.”

Isaiah 117 homes are not group homes, but an interim placement. The typical child’s stay is three to four days, she said.

First launched in Elizabethton, Kentucky, the nonprofit has established or planned homes in Texas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia. Its name is based on Bible scripture.

“Isaiah 1:17 says, ‘defend the cause of the fatherless.’ I believe that is what God is calling me to do,” Ms. Paulson said.

While training to become a foster parent, Ms. Paulson said she learned about the waiting time children endure after removal from their homes. Her class instructor explained that children sleep on the office floor at the child services’ office.

“Then I got mad at God,” she said. “This isn’t fair. Who’s going to tell them they’re loved?”

A life-changing moment came next, she said.

“I heard God say, ‘These are my children. What are you going to do?’ ” she said. “That is when I believe God put on my heart the Isaiah 117 House.”

Ms. Paulson said work for the planned Georgetown home will begin with a sixmonth awareness period to spread the word and raise funds.

The project is coordinated by Tara Thornton. She said 106 children were removed from their homes in Williamson County in 2021.

“An Isaiah 117 home would have offered them a family-style home environment until placement with a foster family,” she said.

A location for the Georgetown home hasn’t yet been selected.

The homes — all painted white with a red front door — include girls’ and boys’ bedrooms, a well-stocked kitchen with home-baked cookies always available, bathing and laundry facilities, and outdoor play areas. Clean clothes and toys are provided. Homes are staffed 24 hours.

Ms. Thornton said she plans to speak to civic, social, parent, business and church groups about Isaiah 117’s efforts.

“I plan to be out in the Georgetown community, speaking to everybody who wants to know more — everyone who cares about these children,” she said.

A meeting to learn more about Isaiah 117 will be held at 4 p.m., November 6, at First Baptist Church, 1333 West University Avenue.

More information about Isaiah 117 can be found at https://isaiah117house. com To learn more about its Georgetown project, contact tara.thornton@isaiah117.com