Foster Parents
Help change a child’s life.
Big Oak Ranch serves children in need of a chance by providing solid, loving Christian homes and an opportunity to discover God’s purpose for their lives. Help provide love, stability, and a sense of belonging to children in foster care in Alabama. Become part of a Big Oak Ranch Community.
Become a Foster Parent
A Big Oak Ranch Community consists of at least five homes within an established or growing neighborhood. Each home is led by a married Christian couple and consists of up to five children from foster care.
Our Communities create a strong support system of like-minded families where they can grow and thrive. By living in community, families are able to support one another while providing stable, loving homes for children in foster care.
Become a Foster Parent
Support
What we provide our familiesAs parents in a Big Oak Ranch Community, you will receive support in many ways. Each family is provided:
- Housing and transportation
- Training, mentorship, and small group connection
- Education and counseling
- Support from directors who live within the community and offer emergency support, leadership and encouragement.
You will receive consistent, dependable support throughout the entire journey of providing love and stability to children in foster care who need a chance.
Become a Foster Parent
At Big Oak Ranch, we walk with couples through the licensing journey with personal guidance, trusted support, and a heart to help families feel prepared for what lies ahead.
Through our 10-week MAPP Foundations training, families learn how to better understand the needs of children in foster care and how to care for them with wisdom, compassion, and consistency. We also provide the documentation, training, and ongoing support families need along the way.
Become a Foster ParentOur desire is to help families do more than complete a process. We want to help create homes where children can begin to heal, find Hope, and move toward the future God has for them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who do you serve?
We serve children who are often more difficult to place, but can thrive in a basic care family setting, including teenagers, sibling groups, and children with mild to moderate behavioral challenges. Our goal is to see long-term positive growth in their lives, and we will support you every step of the way.
How are parents supported?
Our team serves as a liaison between foster parents and the Alabama Department of Human Resources to make the process as seamless and supportive as possible for everyone involved. We handle the following responsibilities, so our parents can focus on caring for each child wholeheartedly.
- Attending court hearings and Individualized Service Plan (ISP) meetings, ensuring compliance
- Coordinating visitation schedules with biological parents and siblings
- Scheduling and attending monthly DHR visits
- Managing communication with caseworkers and providing required documentation to advocate for the best interests of the child
What does Big Oak provide for families in a Big Oak Ranch Community?
Big Oak Ranch provides families with essential needs and intentional support, including the following:
- A home within the Big Oak community
- A van for family transportation
- On-site directors who live within the community, offering leadership, encouragement, and emergency support
- Ongoing training, mentorship, and small group connection
Is respite care available if we need help caring for the children for a short time?
Child sitters can care for children placed in the home for up to 72 hours without being licensed. We also have respite families who can step in when you need time to rest and recharge. Our team is here to support and encourage families throughout the entire journey.
Who supports us once a child is placed?
Your childcare team and your lead family support you directly — they know the dynamics of your home and work with you as your family settles in.
What is a respite family?
Respite Families are licensed to open their own home to our children from the Communities — a family standing with the foster parents raising them.
How does a child come to one of our Communities?
Children in foster care are placed at Big Oak Ranch through our child placing agency. From there a child comes home to one of our Communities, led by a licensed, Christian married couple.
What is a Big Oak Ranch Community?
We call them Communities because that is what they are — a neighborhood of Big Oak Ranch homes where families raising children in foster care live as neighbors, with our childcare team supporting every home.
How do we take the first step?
Fill out the form at the bottom of this page and tell us you’re interested — that’s the whole first step. Someone from our team will reach out and talk it through with you. You don’t have to have it all figured out before you begin.
Would you like to help change a child’s life?
We’re grateful you’re here and considering serving as foster parents with Big Oak Ranch!Please fill out the form, and someone from our team will reach out soon with the next steps in becoming a foster parent and helping change a child’s life.