The Agape Care Alliance is a global, Christ-centered network bringing together organizations working to strengthen care for vulnerable children and families. Through collaboration, training, practical tools, and shared learning, the Alliance equips its members to grow toward more holistic, family-centered approaches alongside residential care—reunification, foster care, kinship support, and family strengthening. Together, we envision a world where more children experience safety, belonging, stability, and the love of family.
Thanks to the ACA, we learned about new models of care that have opened up many possibilities.
—Diana Rosas, Director of Child and Family Services, City of Children
One of the most valuable lessons was understanding that some children prefer to live with their families. Before, we thought that once they arrived at our children's home, our duty was to care for them here. But today we believe that, if possible and safe, the best thing to do is to help their families so they can welcome them back. We now understand that to help, we don't just have to follow one model of care. Helping a child also means letting them go, putting their well-being first."
Member Ministries
- Village of Hope in Ghana
- Jóvenes en Camino in Honduras
- City of Children in Mexico
Member Ministries are Church of Christ-affiliated organizations that operate residential children’s homes. They actively participate in alliance activities and events, use our tools (Thrive Assessment, Improvement Roadmap, etc.), and receive feedback for improvement. They are committed to strengthening the care they provide and exploring expansion toward a continuum of care. The goal is not to replace what a ministry is already doing well, but to strengthen and build on it
The Agape Care Alliance includes two primary participation categories:
Strategic Partners
Strategic Partners are established organizations that provide expertise, training, assessments, coaching, implementation models, or technical support to strengthen Member Ministries and the broader Alliance.
While this is not a one‑size‑fits‑all program, here are some of the many benefits every member can expect:
WHy join ACA?
Membership benefits
Proven Tools and Assessments
Training to Expand the Continuum of Care
Individual Coaching and Spiritual Support
Organizational Development and Capacity Building
Experiential Learning Opportunities
A Global Peer Learning Community
Influence and Leadership Opportunities
While we meet members where they are and work with them to strengthen care in their specific contexts, we do emphasize the continuum of care approach whenever possible. A continuum of care is a way of thinking about child welfare that recognizes children and families have different needs at different times, so no single solution fits every child. Instead of seeing care as only “orphanage” or “adoption,” a continuum of care includes a range of connected supports and family-based options like prevention, reunification, and kinship care. Our strategic partners are experts in this area, and will work closely with you to explore applicable family‑centered approaches for your organization.
An expansive approach to child welfare
The Agape Care Alliance is a global coalition of Church of Christ-affiliated ministries and strategic partners working together to strengthen care for vulnerable children and families.
Our mission
Online RoundTable with participants from Ghana, Mexico, and Honduras.
LEARNING FROM FAMILY LIFE MISSIONS AT OUR 2026 SITE VISIT TO HONDURAS.
The ACA Pilot cohort at the annual Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit in Houston, Texas in 2025.
Step 5: Full Membership
Interested in joining ACA?
Organizations invited into Full Membership continue participating in the Alliance as active contributors to the ACA community through shared learning, collaboration, leadership opportunities, and ongoing engagement in strengthening care for children and families.
The Agape Care Alliance goes beyond offering resources and support—we offer a pathway for growth, connection, and transformation—so you can help more children thrive.
We believe we're Better together
This is about more than resources.
get in touch
Frequently asked questions
If you are interested in joining the alliance as a member or partner, please fill out our contact form and we will be in touch about next steps if we think you might be a good fit for us at this time. Read more about our process here.
Member ministries must have meaningful affiliation with the Churches of Christ — through leadership, governance, founding heritage, or active congregational partnerships. Many members also have connections with the broader Christian community and other organizations serving children.
No, the Agape Care Alliance is sponsored by a grant from the McCoy Family Foundation.
While your organization is considered a part of the Alliance, member ministries will appoint two representatives to actively participate in alliance activities. This should be one executive-level representative and one additional representative drawn from the board, program leadership, child welfare leadership, or spiritual development leadership. Additional participants from member ministries may attend selected events or trainings when appropriate.
New member ministries are selected in the Spring, and the annual cycle begins in June with online trainings on using the Thrive assessment tools and the continuum of care. In the fall, members ministries and strategic partners meet at the annual CAFO Summit. In the spring, we all make a site visit to learn from other ministries (Honduras in 2026, Ghana in 2027).
