FORRESTON – Patti Jennings heard of a case recently where five Ogle County siblings needed temporary housing.

The closest they could be placed together was in Elgin.

Jennings is executive director of Believe in the Children, a nonprofit in Forreston that works with children and families in the area. The organization is working to complete a sibling home in the village where siblings could be placed temporarily with trained house parents.

“There’s a desperate need for placement of siblings together,” Jennings said. “There’s none for siblings that need temporary foster care. We could’ve done it here if we had this then. But we don’t even care where they’re from.”

The house would cater to cases like those five Ogle County siblings. It is not foster care. The children wouldn’t be placed into the state system. Circumstances would include a pregnancy, medical procedure or a parent taking care of military duties.

Foster care is more permanent and can last for years. The sibling home is aimed at preventing that for siblings that need to be placed temporarily.

“It’s flexibility for 45 days,” Jennings said. "This is a crisis where they're taken away quickly and it's voluntary. The parents get them back. Sometimes having kids for young people is overwhelming. What we're saying is there's an in between before you do something where your kids could be taken away permanently."

The house, located half a block away from Believe in the Children and near Forreston’s elementary school, has four bedrooms and two-and-a-half bathrooms. It’s in the process of being brought up to a living standard for future children and trained parents.

The house had fallen into disrepair before it was purchased by Jennings and donated to the nonprofit. The front porch was caving in. It has since been repaired and cleaning has been done inside.

The house is currently safe. Jennings would like the kitchen finished in two months so it could be used in case of emergency. Along with placing siblings temporarily, it could also be used for other issues, such as a displaced family in an event like Forreston’s Aug. 10 wind storm.

“If there’s a child involved and there’s a need, we’ll find a way to help,” Jennings said.

Jennings said there are families in Forreston and the area that would be willing to be trained and go into the home to care for children. Katie Kalina, Believe in the Children’s director of social services that recently came aboard, is certified to do training and work with the families.

Donations are needed to complete the house and project. $15,000 is needed for the kitchen. The total project cost is $120,000. A total of $60,000 is still needed to complete it.

Donations can be made online at believeinthechildren.org/donate. They can also be dropped off at 212 S. 1st Ave. in Forreston or mailed to PO Box 494, Forreston, Illinois, 61030.

The project began in March and Jennings would like it finished by the end of January.

"It is a house of love,” Jennings said. “It's truly for the love of children that we're doing this. Maybe we'll do our grand opening around Valentine's Day. What better love is there than loving a child?"