2022 STATISTICS
In Residental Care
3,151
Others Served
595,348
Spiritual Decisions
688
The Baptist Coalition of Children and Families (BCCF), formerly known as Baptist Child Care Executives, holds an annual meeting hosted by a member organization. This past year it was hosted by Louisiana Baptist Children's and Family Ministries in New Orleans, Louisiana.
At the 67th Annual Meeting in 2015, the BCCF formally changed its name and began the branding process to promote the services offered by each member organization.
The History of BCCF
The care for the defenseless has been part of Baptist life since the Nation’s conscience turned to the orphan during the early to mid 1800s. The appeal for Baptists to unite was heard in States as hearts turned to providing care for the fatherless and motherless. Financial appeals went out, properties were purchased and slowly buildings rose up to domicile waifs impacted by widespread epidemics and war.
As the number of orphanages grew, institutions began to share best practice with each other. Leaders gathered and shared successes and their most trying challenges. The passion for children led organizations to advocate in local, state and even federal arenas. Attention turned from only providing necessities to impacting children’s lives by emphasizing good citizenship and exemplary character.
By the mid 1900s, the number of legitimate orphans decreased while children were being displaced from families due to divorce, violence in the home and parental addictions. The organizations adapted and created home-style settings. Institutional looking buildings were replaced by buildings that easily could have been part of any neighborhood in the country. Institutional matrons who cared for as many 40 to 60 children were replaced by married couples who became surrogate parents caring for no more than 10 to 12 children.
Today, the services offered by Baptist children and family ministries are varied. Although many still provide residential care to children, there are also emphases on family care for mothers and their children, individual and family counseling, care for the frail aging, and even outreaches to children in other countries.
Since 1949, BCCF members have united for the purpose of serving children and families. Through Christ-centered ministries spread across the United States, members promote and advocate for children, families and the aging emphasizing the sanctity of life at every point. Members represent 22 organizations located in 20 states from Florida to the Union’s 49th state – Alaska, impacting lives in the United States and around the world.