Become A Foster Parent

A once homeless child on the streets of Birmingham recently graduated from college and won "Volunteer of the Year," because someone like you decided to become a foster parent.

There are more than 6,000 children in Alabama's foster care system. According to national statistics, less than half will graduate from high school. If they do not find permanent families by age 17 or 18, within two years, 60 percent of the boys will be convicted of a crime and 70 percent of the girls will be pregnant. A staggering 40-50 percent will be homeless before they turn 20 years of age.

If you are as troubled by these statistics as we are, you can be the game changer in a child's life by becoming a Gateway foster parent.

Gateway currently has a strong network of foster families, but the need for more foster parents has never been greater. If you want to help transform the lives of Alabama children and strengthen the future of our state, we hope you consider foster parenting with Gateway.

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Hear from a Gateway Foster Parent

Why foster parent with Gateway?

We've got your back every step of the way.

Our foster parents tell us our staff make it possible for them to do all that they do. Our workers are available 24/7 for after-hours phone calls, counseling and clinical support.

We give you tools to succeed.

Gateway is the only agency in Alabama to train its foster parents in the nation's leading trauma-safety model. Our foster parents also receive 40 hours of agency-sponsored training and on-going support to provide the best, trauma-informed care possible for Alabama foster youth.

You unlock a child's potential and are a part of a solution.

Can you imagine trying to focus in the classroom, build healthy relationships or succeeding at a job interview without knowing where you will sleep that night? We can't either. When you open your heart and your home to a child in need, you strengthen the foundation of his or her mental health, development and well being.

Talk to one of our foster parent gurus!

We are ready to talk to you about foster parenting. Our team has a combined 30 years of experience working with Alabama foster families. Whether you know you want to begin this journey or want to find out if it is right for you, we are ready to chat.

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