>Zoning amendment requested to allow group home for women and children

>Editors’ note: The original article, published in The Grip’s March 31 edition, incorrectly identified Nicole Arnold as Nicole Anderson.

For mothers on the brink of having their children removed by the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS), another preventative option may soon be available.

Nicole Arnold, of 217Central Lake Circle, Griffin, proposed the concept of a women and children’s group home to the Spalding County commissioners on Monday, March 21. Current county zoning ordinances have no provisions for group homes that include both women and children.
According to Arnold, there are many women in the county that are at risk of losing their children simply due the to environment in which they live; oftentimes children are removed from homes in which the father is abusive. Arnold told the commissioners that the idea was to “try to keep the family together until they could transition back into society.”

“A child doesn’t understand why they’re being snatched out of their home,” said Arnold. “If they had a safe place to go, it would avoid the foster care system.”

The group home would be located at 390 Hosannah Road, on three acres of property owned by Arnold’s mother, who currently lives in Germany. The current capacity for the house would be between three to five women with their children, and would service women with children under 12 for up to one year, said Arnold. She hopes to eventually expand the two-bedroom home, and have gardens, animals and nature trails throughout the property for the women and families to care for while living there.
Commissioner Gwen Flowers-Taylor expressed her support of Arnold’s endeavor, adding that often grandparents bear the financial strain of caring for grandchildren to avoid foster care in many cases, receiving no government support because they are not legal guardians. “I personally know at least 25 grandparents currently raising their grandchildren,” she said.

Arnold said much of her motivation comes from being a recovering addict of eight years, and being one of those grandparents caring for her grandchildren. She assumed temporary guardianship so that her granddaughter wouldn’t be turned over the state.

“It’s my obligation to God to give back,” she said. Arnold has received her nonprofit status in the name of God’s Divine Favor.

The commissioners asked Community Development Director Chuck Taylor to research similar group homes in the Fayetteville and Peachtree City area and advise on the best option for writing a group home definition into the zoning ordinance.

“Find an ordinance that facilitates what needs to be done,” requested Commissioner Raymond Ray, “that specifically addresses the situation instead of writing a broad definition.”