GETTING RESULTS: Host families for the lost children of polygamy
 
Reported by: Brent Hunsaker
ABC4 News
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Shannon Price explains what's involving in hosting a child exiled from polygamy.

Diversity Foundation website

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - Following an ABC 4 story on the plight of children exiled from polygamy, viewers responded by volunteering to be host families. "I had a great response," said Shannon Price, director of the Diversity Foundation. "I started getting phone calls immediately after the story. They didn't even wait for the weather report."

"I probably have a list of 15 potential families that want to host a child," Price said. It's a good thing. Before the story aired, she had no available host families.

That does not mean children will be placed with all 15 families immediately. These families essentially are put on call. There is rarely any advance notice that a child is being exiled. Price said, "It's nothing that they do rashly. You know, they consider that they're leaving their mom and dad and the impact that it's going to have on their family. But when they come out it's pretty quick. I have no idea when that's going to happen or ultimately if it is going to happen until all of a sudden one day I get a phone call."

With 15 volunteer families on the list, at least now Shannon Price will have some options.

The Diversity Foundation was started by Dr. Dan Fischer to provide help for these children who leave polygamy on their own or are kicked out. The foundation pays money for the child's education, living expenses as well as a stipend to the family to cover some of the other costs of hosting a child.

Want to know what's involved in becoming a host family? Here's a 3 minute video with Shannon Price explaining the process.

For more information on the Diversity Foundation, call:

Shannon Price, Foundation Director

(801) 553-4556
 
ABC4.com
Originally broadcast February 22, 2010
 
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