With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Alabama is expecting an influx of foster children, which is why Kids to Love is working to make sure the state isn’t just pro-life but pro-lifetime.
Kids to Love is a Huntsville-based charity founded in 2004 to help place children with families and support those in foster care.
Founder Lee Marshall joined 1819 News CEO Bryan Dawson on a recent episode of “1819 News: The Podcast” to explain how the charity works and the impact it’s had on the lives of thousands of children.
“We truly are the vessel to get families who want a child connected with these babies that need a family. It’s not about the money,” Marshall said. “For us, it’s truly about making a lifetime of change.”
She said Kids to Love was instrumental during the last legislative session in getting the Safe Haven bill passed. The new law provides a safe way for mothers to surrender their child for up to 45 days after birth, either to a hospital or in temperature-controlled “baby boxes.” Marshall said she hopes to have 13 boxes placed at firehouses and other strategic places throughout the state by the end of the year.
Kids to Love can help serve these kids throughout their lives. According to the organization’s website, “Kids to Love also operates Davidson Farms, a foster home for girls, the Whitaker Cottage Community for girls aging out of foster care, and our licensed Child Placing Agency. It is also home to KTECH, a private school that offers job training in manufacturing, robotics, and more to young adults and people looking to make a career change.”
“We’ve had a direct impact on the lives of more than 300,000 kids living in foster care,” Marshall said. “We’ve created what we feel is an ecosystem no matter where a child enters the foster care system, we have a program and a support system to meet them where they are, to really guide them from infancy to independence.”
She told Dawson of the many success stories of children they’ve helped to start well-paying careers and families of their own.
“We’re breaking that cycle of poverty, but then we’re also training up that next generation,” Marshall said.
To connect with the story’s author or comment, email daniel.taylor@1819news.com.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
