A House Full of Blessings: The Alba Family Story
For many families, the decision to become a foster parent isn’t just a personal choice — it’s a spiritual calling. Fostering embodies compassion, service, and love, all central to the Christian faith. Partnering with a Christian foster care agency can provide a powerful framework for this journey, offering not only practical support but also spiritual guidance rooted in shared values.
Even as a young girl, Abby Alba knew she wanted to be a foster mom.
Then she met Eddie, a boy who had been adopted out of foster care. Once they graduated from high school, she and this boy married.
“Whenever we talked about [foster care] at the ripe old age of 16 before we got married, it was something we both wanted to do eventually,” Abby shared.
Four biological children later, Abby and Eddie decided they were ready to open their home to children in care with the same agency through which Abby’s sister fostered: Families 4 Families.
After the Albas were licensed, they welcomed their first placement, two young brothers who stayed with the family for a year before moving in with a nearby family member. But the Albas weren’t ready to end the relationship.
“We’ve gone camping [together]. We’ve visited Cumberland Island over the summer. We took the younger boy to the zoo, and I don’t think he had seen other types of animals besides dogs and cats before in his life,” Abby shared.
“We try to bring them along whenever we can. I love them, and I hope to stay in their lives.”
Now the Albas are currently fostering another sibling set of two. With six children in their house, their days are full of softball, soccer and dreaming of summer at the beach.
Even while they’re busy parenting their own crew, it’s important for Abby and Eddie to model a life of giving to their children. Abby and Eddie have opened their home to respite care, in addition to long-term placements, giving other foster parents the chance to take a break or go out of town while temporarily leaving their children with the Albas.
“Especially if you don’t have a support system of family and friends who can keep your children, respite is so necessary and important,” she said. “To have that resource helps so you don’t get burnt out.”
Whether they’re welcoming children through respite care or serving with their children in a local nursing home, Abby believes it’s important to model a life of service for her family.
“All Christians are called to help the vulnerable, and it’s also for our benefit and our good,” she explained. “Volunteering or helping vulnerable people can’t ever be a bad thing. Modeling that to our kids can’t be a bad thing. I hope our bio kids and kids in care see [a need] and learn that they can do something about it.”
She credits her case manager, Beth Drafts, for giving her family the margin and needed support to continue fostering and giving back.
“She’s been so supportive. If I even hint at anything I need, she’s always there to find a solution for whatever it is, and she’s a great mentor because she has personal experiences with adoption and having kids who aren’t biologically your children,” Abby explained.
“I’m a part of some Facebook groups for foster care, and I see ‘horror stories’ about [foster care and foster care support]. But Families 4 Families has been nothing but supportive.”
Abby has also found support from her family’s church — and even from one they don’t attend that provides monthly meals.
“People in our church know what we do, and they go out of their way to be friendly with both our ‘extra’ kids and our biological kids. It’s great to help our kids feel a sense of belonging,” she said.
“When people ask how to help, the thing I tell them the most is to try to make the kids feel as included as possible. It can feel isolating to be in a family you weren’t raised in. I asked people to be inclusive, to invite our kids to birthday parties, to give them a hug at church or to go out of their way to recognize them.”
In the midst of the busyness, especially during sports season, a meal or a gift card is another reminder that the Albas have people in their corner.
“Sometimes I’ll just get a notification that Beth has sent me a gift card for DoorDash, and it’s great to have that support,” she said.
“It’s not even about the money; it’s just knowing somebody’s thinking about you.”
Your gift to Families 4 Families helps foster families like the Albas keep their homes open, not just to children in care but also to respite placements. Together, all of us can be a piece of the puzzle to keep foster homes open and children placed with loving families!
