The CALL to host open house for new Batesville support center

Ashley Beller, director of The CALL

Local foster care nonprofit The CALL is set to expand its impact in north-central Arkansas with the opening of a new support center designed to provide a “homelike” environment for foster families and biological parents.

The organization, which recruits and supports foster families in Sharp and Independence counties, has transitioned its operations to a renovated rock house at 411 S. Central Ave. in Batesville. The facility will serve as the nonprofit’s base of operations and a dedicated training hub for new foster parents.

Ashley Beller, director of The CALL, noted that a primary feature of the new center is the biological family visit space. While supervised visits between children in foster care and their biological parents often occur in traditional office settings, the new house allows families to interact in a domestic environment for up to four hours at a time.

“The space is set up like a house,” Beller said. “They can make a meal together, they can play in the yard, they can be in the playroom. … It’s just a much more homey environment.”

The center also houses the Call Mall, where foster families can access essential items such as diapers and clothing for children entering care.

The CALL will host an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony in partnership with the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce on April 14. The open house will run from noon to 2 p.m., with the ribbon-cutting scheduled for 1 p.m.

Beller recently visited with White River Now’s Chad Whiteaker on Arkansas 103.3 KWOZ about The CALL’s expansion. Listen to their conversation below.

Those interested in the foster parenting process, which includes background checks and trauma-informed training, can find more information at the organization’s website.