Parenting Roles
Houseparents
Provide Christ-centered care for children in need at Big Oak Ranch.
Foster Parents
Provide Christ-centered care for foster children in need in a Big Oak Ranch Community
Resource Families
Once a month support for houseparents and a child
You don’t have to be perfect — just called. If you have a heart for Christ and a passion for serving children in need, we would love to tell you more about how you can make a difference through one of our parent pathways.
Houseparents
Devoted Couples Giving Full-Time Love, Care and Guidance to Children Entrusted to Their Home at Big Oak Ranch
Houseparents are the heartbeat of Big Oak Ranch. These faithful couples care for 6-8 children in need in one of our two-story homes within a Big Oak property. Children who live with houseparents are privately placed, coming to Big Oak through word of mouth and referrals.
Plant Roots at Big Oak
Becoming a houseparent is a life-giving opportunity to open your heart to children who need love, guidance and stability. Together with your spouse, you’ll work and serve on the Ranch, embracing a full-time mission to raise children in a Christ-centered home, surrounded by a supportive community that shares your values.
Each home on the Ranch is led by a husband and wife who create a family environment where children begin to believe that they have a place to belong, to be safe, and to discover that their life matters.
Learn MoreFoster Parents
Foster Parents Who Provide Love, Care and Guidance to Children Within Big Oak Ranch Communities Across Alabama
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Every child deserves a safe, loving home, and right now, too many are still waiting. That’s why Big Oak is growing beyond the walls of our original Ranch. Through Big Oak Ranch Communities, we’re coming along side the state of Alabama to help meet the urgent need for more foster parents.
Big Oak Ranch Communities is a new chapter in the Big Oak story — one that brings the heart of the Ranch into neighborhoods across Alabama.
For over 50 years, Big Oak Ranch has given children a safe place to grow. Now, through Big Oak Ranch Communities, that same model will be extended into neighborhoods of homes throughout Alabama.
Each home will welcome foster children and be led by foster parents, who are selected, trained, and supported by Big Oak. A dedicated facility in each community will provide education and counseling services, offering resources to help children and families thrive. Through Big Oak’s faith-led mission, Big Oak Ranch Communities aims to give more boys and girls the safe, loving childhood they need.
Learn More about Communities
Resource families are an essential part of the Ranch family, providing children with the gift of an extended “aunt, uncle, or grandparent” relationship one weekend a month. By surrounding our children with additional love and encouragement, our resource families strengthen the steady foundation that our houseparents provide every day.
A Family Beyond the Ranch
This unique role gives children the chance to experience normal family activities—like going to the ballpark, out to eat or to the movies—while giving houseparents time for rest and renewal. The relationships built through resource parenting are life-changing for both our children and the families who step into this calling.
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