Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
As followers of Christ, our passion for serving is motivated by compassion and a calling to care for vulnerable children. We strive to be there for children who are in need of someone to care for them when those closest to them aren’t able to adequately provide that care.
The kids we serve experience hardships no child should have to face, including neglect, abuse and abandonment. We nurture these vulnerable children by embracing them, meeting them where they are and loving them unconditionally. We’re not only providing them with homes, we’re giving them a system of support and care to help them flourish.
While faith serves as the core of our mission, we are driven by a desire to nurture, support and prepare kids for productive, thriving futures. We believe we can break what often becomes a cycle of neglect and circumstance for many vulnerable children and families. Our caring and compassionate team works to change the trajectory of the lives of those we serve in our homes as well as our programs centered around family preservation, foster care and school readiness.
“In response to God’s Word, we embrace and nurture vulnerable children and families by providing homes, healing and hope.”
Our accreditation means we have been found to meet or exceed best practice standards.
The FFTA provides current news and best practices that affect development, evaluation, recognition and funding to strengthen family-focused treatment services.
Embrace Alabama Kids, a Methodist Ministry is a fully licensed child-placing agency.
Colossians 3:17 “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
Having advocated for vulnerable kids for more than 130+ years, we strive to equip ourselves to serve children who will need us for decades to come. With God’s love as our compass, we pull together both church, community and state resources to help connect kids in Alabama and Northwest Florida with a stable, loving home environment. What started as an orphanage in Summerfield, Alabama has since grown to serve thousands of children and families across two states.
It’s a rich history and precedent that we don’t take lightly. We understand the need to care for vulnerable children is still just as applicable today as it was decades ago. With this in mind, we have been answering the call to serve, bringing to life the ongoing mission to care for kids and families in crisis through homes, healing and hope.
We work with families, foster families, adoptive families, state agencies and community partners to provide safe environments for kids.
We work tirelessly to ensure a sense of stability for children and families by assessing their needs and connecting them with those who can help meet those needs.
We work with families to equip them with the resources for success.
Florence, AL
Scottsboro, AL
Birmingham, AL
Tuscaloosa, AL
Auburn, AL
Montgomery, AL
Headland, AL
Andalusia, AL
Dothan, AL
Mobile, AL
Our team is headquartered in Montgomery but spans the state of Alabama to provide programs and services that embrace children in foster care and families in crisis.
We also serve Northwest Florida as the founding ministry of Embrace Florida Kids.
Alabama View Florida Locations View Alabama LocationsOur team of committed leaders and staff all work to serve the greater mission of providing homes,
healing and hope to vulnerable children and families in crisis.
President & CEO
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Blake Horne is President and CEO of Embrace Alabama Kids. After earning his doctorate in marriage and family therapy from Florida State University and becoming a licensed therapist, he completed three years of postdoctoral study at the Georgetown Family Center in Washington D.C. and served as the Executive Director of The Samaritan Counseling Center in Montgomery, Alabama for 12 years. Although passionate about providing direct delivery of clinical services, Dr. Horne found his calling in leading organizations to serve their mission. In 2012, Dr. Horne joined the Embrace Alabama Kids team to help lead it in its mission to embrace and nurture vulnerable children and families by providing homes, healing and hope. As President and CEO of Embrace Alabama Kids, Dr. Horne also provides leadership and guidance to the Embrace Florida Kids executive leadership team in Northwest Florida.
Sr. VP of Operations
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Originally joining the team in 2006, Kristin Alberda is the Senior Vice President of Programs for Embrace Alabama Kids and the Executive Director of Embrace Florida Kids. Kristin is tasked with ensuring that all programs—from Embrace Alabama Kids programs in Alabama to Embrace Florida Kids programs in Northwest Florida—meet or exceed strict local, state and federal standards or requirements. Additionally, Kristin leads the accreditation process for all programs to ensure compliance and best practices. A child welfare advocate for 21 years, Kristin earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of West Florida and her master’s degree in social work from Florida State University. She is a licensed and independent clinical social worker and maintains her Child Welfare Supervisor and Child Welfare Licensing Professional certifications.
Sr. VP of External Affairs
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Rebecca Morris is the Senior Vice President of External Affairs for Embrace Alabama Kids a ministry of UMCH and loves sharing the stories of the children, youth and families whose lives have been changed by the ministry.
An accomplished speaker, she has introduced UMCH to Sunday School classes, congregations, civic organizations and audiences of numerous television and radio shows, both locally and nationally. After earning a bachelor’s degree in human environmental sciences from the University of Alabama, Rebecca previously served in community relations for the Alabama Hospital Association. At UMCH, she oversees church and donor relations, special events, marketing and public relations. One of her favorite parts of the job, however, is getting to know and mentor the youth and serving alongside them during mission trips.
Rebecca is a native of Montgomery but has called Birmingham home for 25+ years. She and her family consider Embrace Alabama Kids to be a family ministry.
Chief Financial Officer
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Amanda S. Freeman joined Embrace Alabama Kids as the Chief Financial Officer in 2019. Amanda served as the Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Operations for the Alabama Society of CPAs for 10 years. Prior to that she was a Senior Accountant with a public accounting firm for 4 years where she directed non-profit audits. She is a Certified Public Accountant, Chartered Global Management Accountant, and a graduate of Troy University with Bachelor and MBA degrees, summa cum laude. Most importantly, Amanda has a heart for ministry to children and looks forward to applying her considerable accounting skills in ways that bring hope and greater opportunity to the vulnerable children and families we serve.
Embrace Alabama Kids is led by a volunteer board which provides advisory leadership to our executive team.
