NORTHEAST FLORIDA
Safe Families of Northeast Florida
The Northeast Florida Chapter of Safe Families for Children will extend its coverage to St. Johns County, Duval County, Clay County, Putnam County, Nassau County, and Flagler County. As a newly established chapter, we are currently focused on serving families in St. Johns County.
Bethany Forbes
Chapter Director
Bethany Forbes is a wife to Justin and mom to 6 children ages 6 years old to 18. She moved to St. Augustine in 2000 where she graduated from Flagler College and met her husband of 22 years. Bethany has a core belief that all children belong in families and that the families and communities they belong to have the right to be equipped to thrive. She has lived out this core belief by volunteering and working for YoungLife, being part of the team to start ministry to teens with unique abilities, and ministry to teen moms. Bethany and Justin fostered 7 children over 6 years. Two of those children became forever kids and capped out their capacity. She dove into the world of understanding how to care for hurting people, becoming certified in Trust Based Relational Intervention and Making Sense of Your Worth. After their foster care journey had ended Bethany wanted to look into why children were entering into the foster care system and how to help prevent the disruption to families in our community. She co-founded the Northeast chapter of Safe Families in 2023 and is the chapter director. Outside of work Bethany can usually be found on the sidelines of the soccer fields, carpooling kids around, hiking in a national park or playing on the beach.
Angela Smith
Family Coach Supervisor
My name is Angela Smith and I live in sunny St. Augustine FL.
I have been married for 14 years to my husband Roy and we have 6 children. I have a Bachelors of Arts in Graphic Design and I am currently working on my Masters of Theology through Liberty University. I love gardening, cooking, tending to my chickens, and crafting. I am so excited to be a part of Safe Families for Children!
Ruth Ann Steen
Intake Coordinator
My name is Ruth Ann Steen and I live in St. Augustine, Florida. I started working for Safe Families in November of 2024. I also own a paddleboarding business where we take people on tours, do lessons and camps, and teach paddlefit classes. Previously I worked with YoungLife for almost 27 years in different capacities, most recently as the area director, but my favorite role was when I was the YoungLives director working with teen moms. I have 3 children and two grandsons. I love anything having to do with the outdoors, hiking, biking and anything on the water. I race paddleboards on the pro circuit and am currently the national champ for distance in my division.
I am really excited to be working with Safe Families. I love what we are about and the privilege we have to enter into situations, be with people in a time of need, caring for them and walking alongside them and hopefully being able to help them as best we can.
MEET OUR TEAM
HOW TO
HELP
Beginning in the fall of 2023, our focus will be on serving the St. Johns County School District and providing assistance to over 750 homeless youth and families facing crises. Our initiative is scheduled to launch in September 2023, and we are actively seeking volunteers to support various roles.
We need individuals who can host children, offering them a safe and nurturing environment. Additionally, we are seeking compassionate individuals who can befriend and provide support to parents in need. Family coaches are also needed to offer care and guidance to families in crisis. Furthermore, we require resourceful individuals who can gather supplies for families facing crises or for the host families providing temporary care while the parent(s) work towards stability.
If you are interested in getting involved in any of these roles or if you have other ways to contribute that are not listed, please contact us. We appreciate any support you can offer!