Worst organization I have come across. They have double standards and move children from home to homes without the consideration of the well being of the children. Legal action should be taken against this organization and should be investigated,
I was the Director of Finance and worked there for 5 years. In August of 2019, after numerous female staff members related their experiences of gross, disgusting, vulgar advances by the executive director towards them, I reported the executive director for sexual harassment to the board of directors and eventually to the EEOC. His behavior has spanned over a decade, resulting in several staff members leaving without notice. The board and management are completely unethical. Point in case, he married his deputy director within months of the EEOC filing. If they tell you it's not about the money, look up their 990 informational return. He makes $260,000 and his wife likely makes only enough to stay off the 990. This is not a safe place. It's is a cult-like environment where loyalty to Ross is highly valued. Dissenters are ridiculed and lied about to cover it up. I have no respect for an organization that conducts itself that way or the employees who turn a blind eye to it for their own personal gain. I feel sorry for the families that naively lack truth in the matter, believe his lies, and defend him. Please visit hope and home we see you dot com to read of other employees' experiences, and to view the petition for his resignation that was signed by more than 150 people in our community to be ignored by the board.
I have been an employee with Hope & Home for almost 15 years and am truly grateful to be part of such an incredible organization. Hope & Home has almost 25 years under its belt and is known for having incredible foster families who are "in it" for the right reasons. If you're interested in fostering or contributing, our hospitality and excellence speaks for itself. We do tours and consultations at all our locations (Colorado Springs, Denver, San Luis Valley, and Western Slope). Just give us a call! 719-575-9887. My name is Gina and I'd love to speak to you!
I was a foster parent at Hope & Home for 5 years. My husband and I also served as foster parent mentors the last 2 years of our time there. At the end of 2019, we reached out to Hope & Home to share our mounting concerns with management and stepped down from leadership. A month later, we closed our foster care license upon learning that several former female employees had allegations of misconduct and/or sexual harassment against the Executive Director.
I have spoken with more than 10 former Hope & Home employees and 2 foster parents who directly experienced misconduct and/or sexual harassment - their experiences are shocking and sickening. Details on this can be found by searching Hope and Home We See You. It took me 5 years of seeing red flags to question the authority of Hope & Home and re-examine what I thought to be true about an agency I was deeply invested in. I still have friends at H&H and continue to hear mixed experiences.
Hope & Home has the fanciest building and several structured supports for families. I’ve found that other Child Placement Agencies put their efforts towards more flexible strengths: monetary reimbursement to foster families for specific needs, experienced staff better equipped to assist with difficult behaviors and complicated cases, knowledge and willingness to reach outside the agency for creative solutions to problems, and a stronger relationship between staff and foster families.
No agency is perfect: look for the agency that feels like the best fit for you and know that you can always switch (even if you have foster children in your home). Foster care, the various systems, and people are broken, messy, and complicated. When I worked at El Paso County Department of Human Services, I wondered why my coworkers and other professionals in the field didn't recommend H&H to me. I cannot perpetuate silence surrounding an agency that seems to hold a lot of power in our community. Please do more research on Hope & Home so you can make an informed decision.
This agency has many caring staff and great foster families. I sincerely hope for the resignation of Executive Director and Deputy Director for significant, positive change.