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Grass
Our Story

Homes, Healing
and Hope

About Us

Helping children thrive
Giving families hope

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.

Our Mission

Our Mission

“In response to God’s Word, we embrace and nurture vulnerable children and families by providing homes, healing and hope.”

  • Accredited by the Council of Accreditation

    Accredited by the Council of Accreditation (COA)

    Our accreditation means we have been found to meet or exceed best practice standards.

  • A national member of the Foster Family Treatment Association

    A national member of the Family Focused Treatment Association

    The FFTA provides current news and best practices that affect development, evaluation, recognition and funding to strengthen family-focused treatment services.

  • An agency member of the Florida Coalition for Children

    Licensed by the Alabama Department of Human Resources

    Embrace Alabama Kids, a Methodist Ministry is a fully licensed child-placing agency.

Historyical Photos

A Century of Success

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.

WHAT WE DO

Serving Children and Families


Serving Children and Families
Service Areas Map Florida Locations Alabama Locations Alabama Locations Walton County Okaloosa County Santa Rosa County Escambia County
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Higher Education Home

Florence, AL

Girls Group Home

Scottsboro, AL

Overton Home, External Affairs Office

Birmingham, AL

Higher Education Home, Therapeutic Foster Care Program, Transitional Living Program

Tuscaloosa, AL

Adoption Services

Auburn, AL

Mary Ellen’s Hearth, Headquarters Office

Montgomery, AL

Settlement Boys Home, Transitional Living Program

Headland, AL

Family Preservation Program, Therapeutic Foster Care Program

Andalusia, AL

Family Preservation Program, Therapeutic Foster Care Program

Dothan, AL

Babies First Home, Transitional Living Program

Mobile, AL

Where We Serve

Where Adversity Meets God’s Grace and Unconditional Love

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 Locations

Meet the Executive Team

Our 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.

K. Blake Horne, Ph.D.

K. Blake Horne, Ph.D.

President & CEO

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Kristin Alberda, MSW, LICSW

Kristin Alberda, MSW, LICSW

Sr. VP of Operations

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Rebecca Morris

Rebecca Morris

Sr. VP of External Affairs

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Amanda S. Freeman, CPA, CGMA

Amanda S. Freeman, CPA, CGMA

Chief Financial Officer

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Board of Directors

Embrace Alabama Kids is led by a volunteer board which provides advisory leadership to our executive team.

  • Mark Snead, President
  • Andrea McCain, Vice President
  • Mark Saliba, Treasurer
  • Sommer Vaughn, Secretary
  • Rick Batson
  • Wesley Britt
  • Dawn Cherry
  • Mark Colson
  • Anna Comer
  • Ashley Davis
  • Jeannie Dodson
  • Pat Franklin
  • Bishop David Graves
  • Beth Kilgore
  • Alene Kufarimai
  • Warren Matthews
  • Brad Norris
  • Bettsie Norton
  • Bishop Debbie
  • Jonathon Ratliff
  • Linda Ruth
  • Debby Spain
  • Dawn Theune
  • Steve Umphrey
  • David Woods
Our Programs

Our Programs


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Contact Us

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