Foster Parenting Goes Big with Campus Foster Care

Michael Smith, PhD, LICSW-PIP, MBA | CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

Going big has always been a part of our identity at Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes & Family Ministries (ABCH). We serve children from hard places with the big love that only comes from knowing Christ.

Currently, there are about 6,000 Alabama children in some form of foster care or in need of a foster home. There are not enough licensed foster homes in Alabama to consistently meet the needs of children from hard places in their time of need.

ABCH seeks to protect, nurture, and restore children and families through Christ-centered services. One of the ways we have done this for many years is through high-quality, Christian foster homes statewide that we recruit, train, and license to care for children.

In providing foster homes, a significant challenge is serving larger sibling groups with a wide range of ages within the group. Many community foster homes do not have the space or support to care for sibling groups of 3 or more children. That’s one of the reasons ABCH is going big with our new Campus Foster Care program.

What makes Campus Foster Care a BIG idea?

Campus Foster Care is BIG because it can keep sibling groups of up to 6 children together in the same home while reunification with the biological family is in process. Foster families can live in one of our existing campus homes that are uniquely set up to foster larger groups of children. They also have access to the support of the campus community in several areas around the state.

Who would be a great fit to become a Campus Foster Care family?

Families who have a desire to foster larger groups of children but may not have had the space in their own homes are a terrific fit for this new program. Campus Foster Care allows families the space and resources to care for these children in need. It is also an amazing way that we can work to keep large sibling groups together when they enter foster care.

What is required to become a Campus Foster Care family?

Families must complete all required training to be licensed as a foster family through ABCH. This includes the TIPS training, background clearances, and approval through the home study process. Families that are already licensed foster families have met these criteria and may be selected to serve in the Campus Foster Care program.

How does Campus Foster Care work?

Campus Foster Care is just like traditional foster care except that the family lives in an ABCH home in one of our locations around the state. Campus Foster Care parents sign a lease for $1.00 per month that covers rent, utilities, and internet access. A 12-passenger van is also provided for the home with maintenance, insurance, and repairs covered by ABCH. Only gas is paid for by the foster family.

Do Campus Foster Care families still get the same support as traditional foster families?

Yes. ABCH Campus Foster Care families have an ABCH Social Worker assigned to them just like traditional ABCH foster families. Their ABCH Social Worker is based at each location of the Campus Foster Care home or at a nearby office. This allows the ABCH Social Worker to provide expedient support to the families and children in care. Campus Foster Care families also receive ABCH monthly board payments for each child in foster care in addition to other ABCH services and resource supports like tutoring, counseling, and recreational opportunities. 

Not only do Campus Foster Care families enjoy the same support as traditional foster families, but they also get the benefit of living in a community of foster families in some of our locations statewide. In Decatur and Mobile, we have multiple homes on the campuses that will be Campus Foster Care homes. This allows our foster families to draw upon the support of like-minded Christians with a burden to foster children from hard places.

What if we are interested in becoming a Campus Foster Care family?

Campus Foster Care homes around the state will become available at different times. If you are interested in learning more about Campus Foster Care, please email Michael Smith at dmsmith@alabamachild.org or call at 256-355-6893.