The Alabama Department of Human Resources reports approximately 6,000 children are in the state's foster care system.
A Tuscaloosa surgeon said he's working with Alabama's DHR to put some of those children into a loving home. Dr. Johnny Waits is fulfilling a vision years in the making.
He's helping build a nonprofit foster care community in Coker called Freedom Farm.
"Our hope and vison is this will be a safe haven for abused, abandoned and neglected children" said Waits.
Phase one will include seven homes to foster 42 children and the foster families taking care of them.
Why, you may ask?
Waits wants to make sure these children have the same loving home that made him the man he is today.
He said, "they need the same chance that I had." He added “God planted this on my heart a while back and I’ve almost ignored it for a while, and I can’t ignore it anymore. The Bible talks a lot about us waiting on him, but I think the reverse is true. He waits on us sometimes to take a step when he’s called us to do something and that’s what’s happening.”
He's donating 60 acres, right now 18 acres to build the homes on, and the chapel to start with. Construction on the chapel starts next week. The first home is expected to be built in six weeks.
An activity center is also planned, but after that, Waits said that's up to funding and God.
"If he's not in this, it won't go. If he is, there's no telling. The sky's the limit" he said.
While Waits is helping children, Alabama's DHR wants you to open up your home to help older and disabled adults.
"Currently we have 611 vulnerable adults that are placed somewhere other than their own homes due to a risk of adult abuse and neglect," said Billie Robinson with Alabama's DHR.
She said many people didn't know you could foster adults in your home.
"So, the benefits would be that the adults would be in a least restrictive environment and also be able to maintain a level of independence."
Robinson said there are a total of 19 adult foster homes in 11 of Alabama's 67 counties.
Two of them are in Jefferson County Robinson said. The goal is to have at least one in every county.
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