Agape Villages: Spreading the Love

Established in 1958 as the Sierra Children’s Home, the Agape Villages has gradually evolved into its present-day strong network of regional group homes dedicated to foster family care. In 1995, the organization officially changed its name from Sierra Children’s Home to Agape Villages to reflect its dedication to spreading the love among foster families and their children.

Since its founding, Agape Villages has served over 5,000 of the most troubled youth in California. As a licensed and accredited foster family agency, it places children in loving foster homes across 14 Northern California counties and provides these children with a chance at being part of a family. The children placed in foster care are usually considered as disadvantaged children, adolescents and young adults ranging in age from newborns to 21 years old. Many of these children have either been abandoned or abused, as well as homeless.

Referrals are also accepted from concerned government agencies including California’s Department of Social Services and Child Protective Services as well as the County Mental Health Departments.

All of the families as well as the organization’s members are dedicated to strengthening Christian values; providing the best possible professional services to the children and their foster families; and assisting the people who provide loving foster care for the children. The foster families work with Agape Villages in helping the children regain their physical and emotional health as well as in reshaping their futures.

Agape Villages accepts donations to fund its operations and to achieve its goals. These goals include giving the children’s dysfunctional biological families the opportunity to heal and then to provide a more stable home. Its services include on-call availability, weekly in-home case management, and effective training for foster families coupled with support groups and substantial financial assistance for them. All foster families must undergo training before children can be placed in their homes.