Chicktime Birmingham and United Rentals are just two of many volunteer groups that are making a difference for the mothers and children in our Family Care homes in Gardendale and Mobile.

“If God has given me this gift of compassion, why am I so emotionally weak? Why can’t I do this hard thing?” Julie asked herself this after a social worker leaned across her dining room table and told her and her husband that foster parenting might not be the best fit for them because of her tender heart. During each meeting with the social worker, she cried hearing the difficult situations these children came from.

Quanicia went from surviving day-to-day to having stability for her family. During her time in the year-long program, you equipped her with life-changing tools for success. Your gifts provided her with steady housing, healing through counseling, financial planning, and more.

In 2019, when the Mann family discovered their homestead had suffered a decade or two of neglect, they repurchased it and lovingly restored and gifted it to our ministry in order to bless generations to come.

In 2016, we met a kind and hopeful single mom named Madilyn and her son, Joseph. The Lord led them to our Family Care home in Alabaster after a season of homelessness, and the wonderful impact it had on them then is still apparent in their lives today.

This spring for their annual RED Day serve effort, a group of nearly 40 Keller Williams Metro South agents from the Alabaster area and many of their vendors came together and served moms and children in our Alabaster Family Care home. The difference they made is both immediate and long-lasting.

“Fostering certainly pointed me to the Lord because I realized real quickly, I couldn’t do it in my own strength, as much as I wanted.” Now two years in, the Lawtons have seen God’s hand at work in many ways in their foster care journey.

The impact of “Brother” Leon Zalenski’s 40 years of involvement with and advocacy for our ministry is immeasurable, and his Kingdom impact has already touched generations. At age 87, Leon has been a monthly donor, a “Hero Partner”, since before we used that term to describe our regular monthly donors. He has also been very involved as a volunteer at our Gardendale home for years.

At the first informational meeting about fostering that Jon and Mandy Hartman went to, they thought maybe they were there to just check it out and be able to offer help to their friends who were fostering. But they left that night, each feeling God's call, and began fostering with us in 2013. Read more about their foster care journey.

Tim and Jennifer Hurd have been married for nearly 20 years. As the proud parents of five, the Hurds have experienced growth in their hearts and home through the ministry of foster care.

Last August, we shared a letter from a mom named Tasha who had completed our Family Care program. In it, she shared with us how she has seen the Lord work in her life throughout her journey to start over. Here is an update from her, one year later.

Across Alabama, moms and children in the care of ABCH will have the opportunity for a good night’s rest because of these gifts from Bedzz Express.

Our donors and church partners helped our moms and kids in Family Care during this unique season by participating in a drive-thru donation drop-off at our Birmingham office!

Yvonne’s* story of chains being broken and getting a fresh start in Family Care.

Last year, Mackenzie* found herself in a very unhealthy relationship and in serious need of help. After getting connected and moving into our Family Care home in Alabaster, life took on a wonderful new direction for her and her girls.

On Friday, November 8, in Birmingham, we enjoyed a wonderful day as we dedicated the new Pathways Professional Counseling Center and rededicated our Administration building, as the "Paul and Diane Miller Administrative Service Center.

For children in foster care, there are many unknowns and upheavals in their lives. That’s why the role of a social worker is pivotal, as they walk with them through this difficult journey every step of the way.

Drew and Lacey Barnwell have been incredible examples to us of obedience to God and faithfulness to the call of foster care. Married since 2010, they have four biological children and one adopted child, all under the age of seven!

Tasha has two children, ages 4 and 13. She is currently working a full-time job as well as going to school full time, working to complete her bachelor’s degree within the next year! In her story below, we meet Tasha just before she found our Family Care program.

Fusion classes in our Family Care homes are a new initiative we’ve implemented recently in Birmingham, and the community has really rallied around it, with business groups and church small groups regularly participating.