ABOUT US
FAMILY is Where
Children THRIVE.
Safety. Security. Belonging. We were
created for these fundamental things –
and to find them in family.
Mission
Who we are
The Initiative for Vulnerable Children was birthed out of Saddleback Church, where our model of outreach, The PEACE Plan, focuses on empowering members of local churches with the best practices, tools, and training to make an impact in their communities. Care for vulnerable children has been a “Signature Issue” of Saddleback since the early 2000’s when the church was one of the first to advocate for family-based care over the use of institutions in caring for orphans in developing nations. From 2010 to today, Saddleback and the Initiative worked hand-in-hand with the Rwandan government to help the nation transition from an orphanage-based to a family-based child welfare, training local churches in adoption and trauma-informed care that helped the country successfully empty orphanages by finding families for over 3,000 children.
Seeing the success of the model in Rwanda, Saddleback and the Initiative turned to address the foster care system in Orange County, where since 2017 we have rallied local churches, government, and practitioners to create wrap-around solutions for vulnerable children and families that reduced the number of children waiting in Orangewood (OC’s emergency shelter) by 90%.
God places
the lonely
in families.Psalm 68:6
Vulnerable Children
Children may lack parents for a variety of reasons – but the outcomes for children who grow up outside of family care are all similarly tragic: emotional and behavioral struggles, early parenthood, prison, homelessness, gang activity, or even suicide. God has commanded that we care for vulnerable children, and the solutions to this crisis are family, church, and community.
Community
We’ve seen the power of a well-equipped community to wrap around vulnerable children and families in ways that help them stay together and thrive. The tools we offer can help connect communities to care.