MORRISTOWN, Tenn — UPDATE (8/4): In the past decade, the Tennessee Department of Children's Services said there has been a 51 percent increase in parents losing the legal right to care for their kids.
That's put roughly 8,000 under the care of the state's foster care system. For many of them, removal day can be traumatizing.
"Imagine losing your home. Imagine losing your possessions, except what can go in a black trash bag," said Ronda Paulson, executive director and founder of Isaiah 117 house. "Imagine losing your pet. Imagine possibly losing your brother or sister when you get separated."
Paulson was horrified to learn what kids might go through on removal day. She wanted to provide a safe, welcoming space to let them know they are loved as case workers work to place them.
"We want to look them right in the eye and say what do you need today?" she said. "We want to meet those needs and drive home that idea that you're not in trouble, this is happening to you, not because of you. You are loved."
Each home has decorated bedrooms, a bright red welcoming door, places to play, food and closets full of everything kids could possibly need. Paulson doesn't want any kid to feel like they're alone.
"We spend a lot of time talking about how to break the cycle. These children are our next generation," she said. "We're talking about our children right here in this county."
At the end of July, Isaiah 117 broke ground on several new homes in East Tennessee -- one in Jefferson County, one that will serve Monroe and McMinn counties, and one in Rutherford, Tennessee.
In June, Paulson and her team also held a meeting in Hamblen County to share their expansion plans for the future. Isaiah 117 House is already in a number of East Tennessee counties, as well as Florida and Indiana.
Jessica Lyle is leading the team in Hamblen County.
"I had to do something. I couldn't go on knowing what I knew [about removal day] and not do something to try to help," Lyle said. "If we can do anything at all to ease that pain, we need to do that. We need to step up and say that. We are going to show them that they're loved."