Family Made Whole
VolunteerGiveContact Us

Wraparound support for vulnerable & foster families.

Family Made Whole partners with churches to build practical "villages" of care—supporting families before foster care is needed, during fostering, and after reunification. Church leaders: reach out to explore a partnership. Donors: help fund training, background checks, and respite nights so families receive care at no cost. Rooted in caring for widows and orphans—single moms and children in crisis (James 1:27).

For more information on Wraparound Support, church partnerships, or volunteering — share your email and we'll reach out with next steps.

Family Made Whole volunteers and partners together

How Can We Help You Today?

One click to get started. Choose what you need below.

Sign Up for a Tote of Hope

A next-day bag of essentials for a child entering foster care.

Get Started For details on Totes of Hope, scroll down or tap here.

Request a Bed

A bed for a child or family who needs a safe place to sleep.

Get Started For details on our bed program, scroll down or tap here.

Order Colleen's Cakes

A free birthday or adoption day cake for a child in foster care.

Get Started For details on Colleen's Cakes, scroll down or tap here.

Our mission

We envision a community where every vulnerable family and foster family is surrounded with support, every church is empowered to serve, and every child experiences the hope and stability of God’s love through caring people.

The Crisis

The need is urgent, but “there’s nothing like the church, when the church is being the church.” — Dr. Alan Bixler

Up to 90% of churches have no foster families. Children enter care through neglect, families burn out without support, and youth age out with nowhere to turn. These are not statistics — they are our neighbors.

63%

of children enter foster care due to neglect, not abuse — most cases are preventable.

66%

of foster homes close in the first 2-3 years due to lack of resources and support.

66%

of youth who age out of foster care fail to integrate into society.

Child leaning on a bed — Up to 90% of churches have no foster families
“Up to 90% of churches have no foster families. Together, we can change this.”

Foster families don’t quit because they stopped caring — they quit because they’re exhausted and unsupported. 66% of foster homes close in the first 2-3 years. 66% of youth who age out of care fail to integrate into society. 63% of children enter foster care due to neglect, not abuse — meaning most of these cases are preventable with the right support.

Family Made Whole exists to change these numbers — one church, one family, one child at a time. This is the village every vulnerable family deserves.

Be Part of the Solution

Services

Services

Partner with us to launch Support Teams in your church.

Our model is simple: a consistent support team. We help churches form a team of 4–6 households assigned to one family—like extended family (aunts, uncles, and grandparents). Each team commits to one meal per week, plus practical help (light housework, babysitting, occasional yard work) and steady encouragement. Partnership path: 1) Intro conversation, 2) Choose a next step (support team, training, respite night), 3) Background checks + onboarding (2–4 weeks), 4) Launch with ongoing guidance.

Prevention Support Teams

Support vulnerable families—often single moms with kids—before a crisis becomes foster care, by surrounding them with a trained 4–6 household support team committed to one meal per week and practical help.

Foster Family Support Teams

Reduce burnout by pairing foster families with a consistent support team committed to one meal per week, plus trauma-informed training (including CE options), mentorship, and respite nights.

Reunification Support Teams

Help reunified families stay strong and sustainable by building a long-term support team committed to one meal per week, ongoing check-ins, and practical help like babysitting, light housework, and occasional yard work.

Our Story

Why we do what we do

This short video shares the heart behind Family Made Whole and why we believe every vulnerable child and family deserves a village of consistent care.

Respite Care

Parents Day Out — a night off for caregivers who give everything.

Monthly 2–3 hour respite events where background-checked, trauma-trained volunteers provide safe and fun care for foster and vulnerable children so caregivers can simply rest. We've grown from 9 children in February to 35 in April — and we're just getting started.

  • ·Free for all foster and vulnerable families
  • ·Trauma-informed, background-checked volunteers only
  • ·Held monthly, moving to biweekly
Get Involved
Parents Day Out — Family Made Whole volunteers at the Dream Center of Lakeland

Emergency Care

Totes of Hope — so no child arrives with nothing.

When a child enters foster care, they often arrive with only the clothes on their back. Totes of Hope delivers next-day duffle bags filled with essential items — so every newly placed child has what they need from day one. Made possible through our partnership with One More Child.

  • ·Next-day delivery for newly placed foster children
  • ·Packed with age-appropriate essentials
  • ·In partnership with One More Child
Learn More
Totes of Hope — duffle bag packed with essentials for foster children

Birthday Program

Colleen's Cakes for Kids — every child deserves to be celebrated.

No child in foster care should have their birthday go unnoticed. Colleen's Cakes provides free birthday cakes to foster children, bringing joy and dignity on their most personal day. Named in honor of a dear supporter of this mission.

  • ·Free birthday cakes for children in foster care
  • ·Orders must be placed at least 14 days in advance
Request a Cake
Colleen's Cakes for Kids — birthday cake for a foster child

Now Live in Polk County

Sleep in Heavenly Peace: no kid sleeps on the floor in our town.

Family Made Whole has launched the first-ever Sleep in Heavenly Peace chapter in Polk County, FL, right here in the heart of Lakeland. Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) is a national nonprofit dedicated to building and delivering free, sturdy bunk beds to children who would otherwise sleep on the floor. Every child deserves a safe, comfortable place to sleep, and now Polk County has a chapter making that a reality, in partnership with Heartland for Children and One More Child.

SHP has built and delivered over 400,000 beds across the country to kids!

  • ·Now live: the first SHP chapter in Polk County, based in Lakeland, FL
  • ·Free beds built and delivered by trained volunteers
  • ·In partnership with Heartland for Children and One More Child
  • ·Volunteer build days open to churches and community groups
Get Involved
Sleep in Heavenly Peace — Family Made Whole volunteers building beds

Benefits

Why churches and donors partner with Family Made Whole

We combine lived foster care experience with a clear, church-friendly structure so your support becomes consistent care that strengthens families and protects children.

Over 200 children served

Your partnership helps create stability for children and families through consistent wraparound support.

Simple, safe, repeatable model for churches

We provide clear roles, onboarding, and background-check guidance so teams can serve confidently and consistently.

Donor dollars go to practical, measurable care

Your giving helps fund training, background checks, respite nights, and wraparound support.

Donor Advised Funds

Give from your donor advised fund

If you have a donor advised fund with Fidelity Charitable, Schwab Charitable, or BNY Mellon, you can recommend a grant to Family Made Whole in just a few clicks.

About us

About Us

A faith-based nonprofit built to strengthen families before, during, and after foster care

Family Made Whole was started by a married couple with decades of marriage and parenting ministry experience and a deep foster care journey—raising three biological children, five adopted children, and fostering 73 children. Along the way, we saw the same pattern: vulnerable families need support before a crisis, foster families need a steady village to prevent burnout, and reunified families need ongoing encouragement to stay strong. Today, we partner with churches and community organizations to provide training, mentorship, respite care, and wraparound support—strengthening families in crisis and creating stability for vulnerable children. We currently serve Polk County and are expanding soon.

Our Partners

Heartland for ChildrenOne More ChildDream Center of LakelandUnited Way of Central FloridaSoutheastern UniversityLighthouse MinistriesDuke Energy Foundation
The Crutch and the Cure by Rev. Trevor C. Booker Sr.

Coming Soon: A New Book

The Crutch and the Cure

Why Broken and Struggling Families Need Both a System and a Village

After fostering 73 children and adopting five, Rev. Trevor C. Booker Sr. has seen what systems can do and what they cannot. Government and agencies are a vital crutch for families in crisis, but lasting healing happens when a village of caring people walks alongside them.

This book is a call for the church to move beyond one-time help and provide permanent, lasting support for broken and vulnerable families.

Be the first to know when it launches.

Contact Us

Church leaders: explore a partnership. Donors: support Support Teams and respite nights. Volunteers: serve through your church. Reach out and we'll respond quickly with next steps.

(609) 254-4757
Polk County, FL (serving now; expanding soon)

FAQ

Common questions from churches, donors, and community partners. If you don’t see your question here, contact us—happy to help.