PALMDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- Actor Christian Bale broke ground Wednesday on a project he's been passionate about for 16 years -- the building of a dozen homes and a community center intended to keep siblings in foster care together.
Together California, a new foster care community in Palmdale, celebrated a key milestone in foster care with a groundbreaking ceremony.
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The 7,000-square-foot community center will serve 12 Together California foster homes. The project, which will transform foster care in California by allowing brothers and sisters to remain together, is targeted to be finished in April 2025.
Together California was co-founded by the actor, his wife Sibi Bale and Eric Esrailian.
Its goal is to provide critical support for vulnerable children in Los Angeles County. It is an alternative model of foster care that prioritizes keeping brothers and sisters together. It will offer enriching services to both the children living there and the local community, functioning as a center for academic, therapeutic, social, and recreational activities for young people.
Additionally, this facility will serve as a communal safe space for the neighborhood, facilitating access to public resources and offering educational and financial training programs.
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On any given day, there are nearly 437,000 children in foster care in the United States. In California, there are over 60,000 children in the foster care system, more than any other place in the United States.